


From The Darkness

by Anatropes



Series: From the Darkness - Into the Light [1]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), The Chronicles of Riddick Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Sex, Augments, Betrayal, Blood and Violence, Emotional Baggage, First Time, Friendship/Love, Getting to Know Each Other, Grief/Mourning, Hope, Light Masochism, Light Sadism, Loneliness, Loss, Loyalty, M/M, Necromongers, Porn With Plot, Post-Chronicles of Riddick, Post-Star Trek: Into Darkness, Riddick Top, Rough Sex, Slow Burn, Star Trek Into Darkness, Strangers to Lovers, Survival, Violence, Violent Sex, khan - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:20:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 105,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22052395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anatropes/pseuds/Anatropes
Summary: Surviving on this planet made any triple-max slam look like a deluxe vacation spot and Riddick relished it. To be a beast among beasts, hunting and being hunted, primal instincts against primal instincts. It beat ruling over backstabbing Necromongets. No politics or hidden agendas on the ice, just him and his wits. In all honesty, he didn’t even care if Vaako never returned for him.Everything was going according to plan until an unfamiliar ship crashed into his backyard, bringing with it an interesting puzzle for Riddick to solve.Vaako’s reflection in the window frowned back at him. Here he was, with another mess to untangle and on his way to meet Riddick. It seemed that every time he had doubts about his faith, about his path, Riddick was close by.~Completed~
Relationships: Richard B. Riddick/Khan Noonien Singh, Richard B. Riddick/Khan Noonien Singh | John Harrison
Series: From the Darkness - Into the Light [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1786891
Comments: 126
Kudos: 185





	1. On Ice

His eyes scanned the icy planes of L28, an L class planet orbiting a blue star in the Qualar system. He shifted slightly on his feet, tilting his head, trying to listen over the howling wind and rustle of his windblown furs.

Something was definitely out there.

It’s been three years since he willingly delivered the Necromongers into Vaako’s hands. In exchange, the new holy half-dead Lord Marshal dropped him off on this planet - Riddick’s choice - with the promise to return if he ever got word of Furya’s location.

Surviving on this planet made any triple-max slam look like a deluxe vacation spot and Riddick relished it. To be a beast among beasts, hunting and being hunted, primal instincts against primal instincts. It beat ruling over backstabbing Necromongets. No politics or hidden agendas on the ice, just him and his wits. In all honesty, he didn’t even care if Vaako never returned. 

With the blue star giving a final wink over the horizon, Riddick removed his goggles and looked again for the cause of that delicious tingling up his spine. His silver eyes reflected what little light still lingered, missing nothing.

Something moved over the ice, a slight discoloration rippling slowly towards him. Ice-pig is what’s for dinner, Riddick thought, recognizing the pattern of this particular hunter.

He called them pigs only because of what they tasted like. In reality, the creature looked like a crossbreed between a crocodile and a dog. Short stocky legs, a whiplike tail, long snout equipped with hundreds of needle-like teeth, and covered in a mixture of white spikes and fur.

It was a slow-moving creature in general, like most life on this planet, but capable of extraordinary bursts of speed for a short time.

Riddick pulled out his hunting knife and waited, occasionally shifting his weight to keep his muscles nimble.

There was a moment that even the wind seemed to pause and then an explosion of gaping jaws and shards of ice. Riddick rolled out of the way, feeling a slight tug as those teeth grazed his furs, and coming to his feet he pounced on the creature's back. The irony was that the claws of the creature’s brethren, incorporated into Riddick’s boots, gave him the edge he needed for just such a move.

His sharpened blade tore through thick hide and shattered ribs on its way to the creature’s heart. A few death throes later all was still again.

***

Riddick was halfway to his cave, his prey slung over his shoulders when a loud booming sound made him pause and look up. Something was streaking across the night sky, burning as bright as a comet in Riddick’s night vision eyes, but the roar and whine of an engine left no doubt that this was no comet.

He grunted and followed it with his eyes, whatever it was it was crash-landing. He closed his eyes expecting the bright flash of an explosion, but instead, there was a dull boom followed by a whoosh and clank. If any unlucky bastards survived that spectacular landing they would be buried in ice and snow now.

He grunted again and shifted the dead weight on his shoulders. Not his problem. He started walking again, paused, resumed, paused and sighed. If those were mercs and any of them, by some miracle, were still alive they would at the least call for help and that meant more mercs. Riddick liked this shithole of a planet and he didn’t want mercs discovering he was here. They were like rats, leave one alive and there’ll be hundreds scurrying about in no time.

It would take him all night to reach the crash site, less if he abandoned his kill, but he wasn’t one to waste a good meal. He shifted the animal once again more securely on his shoulders and set a ground eating lope he knew he could maintain for hours. If he came across a secure spot he’d stash his prey and move faster.

He was very close to the crash site when he spotted something caught on a large ice shard. It waved and billowed in the wind only to be roughly yanked back by its icy anchor.

Riddick approached it cautiously, his eyes detecting no life and no movement other than that caused by the wind. A parachute? He only saw one of these once during a demonstration when he was just a boy, ancient pilots used them in place of Ari-blast Retro Rockets to slow down their aircrafts.

He followed the suspension lines, they were old and worn. Some of them had snapped, others had links with chunks of ripped metal at their end. So, they had been attached to the craft, interesting. It explained why there was no explosion, but they hadn’t held, and even though they might have momentarily slowed down the craft he doubted it helped much.

He lowered his goggles over his eyes. A cerulean sunrise was forming over the snowy dunes, casting bluish rays everywhere, as much as he liked this planet during the night he hated it during the day.

He buried the ice-pig at the foot of the piece of ice that had snagged the parachute. It would be easy to find later and he needed to move fast, once the sun was up he’d be half-blind, even with his goggles on.

Tracking the crash site was easy, there was a lot of debris marking the way, and he already had a general idea where it had crashed from watching it fall. Though the parachute had altered his calculations slightly and for the better, it seemed, because he found it sooner than he thought he would.

He paused and tilted his head. A small ship, too small to be mercs, at best this was a two-crew craft and small enough that the parachute did work somewhat. It was only half-buried in the ice.

He slid down to the craft and pulled out his knife. Stalking around the craft he noted that the doors were on the sides and both half-buried in the ice, but once he reached the front he saw the webbed glass. He brought his knife down on it and though it buckled and creaked it didn’t shatter. He hit it again and again until his knife punctured through. Stubborn glass, Riddick though, it was like the more he tried to break it the more…sticky it got. Eventually, he made a hole big enough to stick his gloved hands through and pull the thing apart. He took it as a good sign that no one was shooting at him.

He peered inside and nearly jumped back, a mummified face was grinning up at him. He looked to the right, two mummies, both sitting pretty in front of the controls. It looks like he didn’t have to worry about them calling for help. The sun was his main worry now. It was already too bright to make it back to his cave safely, so he widened the hole and pushed his body through, neatly sitting on the first mummy’s lap.

“Come here often?” He looked it over. Some kind of uniform, they both wore the same one, a bit faded but might’ve been dark blue at one point. He noticed a badge on the arm of the one across from him and got off the first one’s lap to examine it. “Starfleet…United federation of Planets.” The symbol he did not recognize but the language was one of those used by humans. He knew it well enough, most mercs were humans.

He put a hand on the console to push himself up when the craft suddenly came to life, lights flashing on followed by beeps and a female voice.

“Warning, insufficient power. Switching to auxiliary power. Shutting down nonessential systems to conserve power.” The overhead lights dimmed and many of the control lights went off as well. “Warning, insufficient power to maintain life-support in the cryostasis unit for longer than four hours.” 

“Is the cabin’s life-support still on?” Riddick ventured.

“Affirmative.”

“Switch it off then, the craft has crash-landed on a planet with an atmosphere.”

“Sensors off-line, unable to scan for atmosphere, confirm order.”

“Yeah, sure, confirmed.”

“All life-support within the shuttle has been disabled. Maintaining life-support for cryostasis unit, estimated time until shutdown is now nine hours.”

It clicked then. “You have another passenger other than these two handsome lads?” 

“Please restate inquiry.” 

“Never mind. Where did you come from?” 

“This shuttle was deployed from USS Athena on stardate 2294.3 heading for Cold Station 12 of the Interspecies Medical Exchange.”

“2294? Late 23rd century?”

“Affirmative.”

“You are a long way from home.” He murmured and looked at the back of the shuttle. 

There was a door there. He walked up to it and it automatically opened halfway, he assisted it the rest of the way. It led to a small compartment with storing areas on the sides and back but what interested him was in the middle of the room. Secured on a medical station of sorts, with tubes and wires attached every which way, was what looked like a one-person escape pod and it seemed to be still functioning. 

He walked up to it, gently placing a hand on the metal. It was cold compared to the rest of the craft. He looked down its length and spotted what looked like frosted glass. Mindful not to disturb any of the tubes and wires he moved to the side of the pod and brushed some of the frost away to reveal a face. He leaned over it and removed his goggles, male, somewhat narrow faced with remarkably high cheekbones, full shapely lips, and very much an icicle. The method he was put in cryosleep was ancient, to say the least, though if this was 23rd century technology it made sense, even though it didn’t explain why the technology was still functioning. 

He left the frozen man and moved to the front of the shuttle. “Still with me?”

“Affirmative.”

“Do you have mission logs?” 

Beeps followed his question and after a short delay, the voice replied. “Requested data has been corrupted.”

“Do you have any logs at all?”

“Attempting to recover data.” More beeps, “one percent data recovered, personal log Lieutenant Junior Grade, Davis, most recent entry.” 

A monitor flickered to life and the haggard face of a red-haired young man appeared. “I don’t know…happened,” he panted, his voice distorted, the image and audio breaking in and out but his panic all too clear. “…is dead…some kind of spec…distortion…I don’t recog…any of the star…I don’t think…quadrant anymore…oh god…oh…something’s wrong with…it burns!” The monitor went blank.

Riddick grunted turning his head to look at the mummified man he had landed on when he entered the shuttle, red hair. “Why didn’t you wake up the man in the back? No time? No point?” he hung his head and chuckled. “Why am I talking to a corpse?” 

“Please restate a single question.”

Riddick jumped slightly, he had nearly forgotten the computer. “Who is the man in cryosleep?”

“Level nine authorization required. Please input command codes.”

“Someone important then.”

“Command codes not recognized.”

Riddick smiled. “Oh sure, you forgot everything else but this you remember. Well, it seems like you and I need to get better acquainted.”

It took him some time to bypass the computer’s security systems, mostly because many of its systems were too damaged to work with. Whatever happened out there it had scrambled and erased parts of the system while leaving others intact, even files stored in the same location were similarly damaged. In the end, all he got for his efforts was a name; Khan Noonien Singh and that he was to be stored indefinitely at Cold Station 12 (along with his crew) for crimes against the Federation and Starfleet. Whoever the man was and whatever he did, he was one lucky bastard. Just about everything was malfunctioning except what was keeping him alive. Not that it would matter after nine hours. 

Riddick went back to the storing area and rummaged through the supplies, unable to stop himself from stealing a few glances at the face in the pod. He was pleased to come up with a few blankets to keep warm with and a bottle of what smelled like alcohol. 

He pulled the door closed again, making sure to wedge something in there in case it had a locking mechanism and piled the blankets in the back. He wrapped a couple around his shoulders as he sat down and opened the bottle, taking an appreciative sniff at its contents.

He raised the bottle to the frozen man. “Cheers,” and took a long swing. “Mmm, Good stuff.”

His eyes followed the tubes and wires of the stasis unit, wondering if there was a way to move it safely back to his cave. On the other hand, he could just let the man inside die and save himself the trouble. He took another long swing of alcohol and settled back. Time enough to decide after a few hours of sleep.  
He was woken up by the computer’s voice informing him that there were only three hours of life support left for the man in the stasis unit. 

Riddick stood and looked down at the face of the sleeping man. He again considered letting time ran out and go on with his life, but he was also intrigued. This was a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma and he wanted to unravel it. 

He took off his heavy fur coat and popped his knuckles, time to figure out what made this stasis unit tick and how to best thaw out its contents. 

***

Crouched in the shadows near the entrance of the cave, Riddick watched as the man currently occupying his bed stirred. Waking up from cryostasis was painful, especially one as primitive as the man had been in, yet he made no sound as he laboriously pushed the heavy layers of furs off himself and sat up. 

Glacial eyes scanned their surroundings, pausing over the fire pit in the middle of the cave, and finally settling on Riddick. There was no surprise, not even a twitch, just a calculating narrowing of those cold eyes as they watched him back.

Riddick sensed the animal raging behind the man’s eyes, under control even if so close to the surface. He couldn’t stop the grin tugging at his lips. This was going to be fun.

They stared at each other in silence for a few moments, both trying to deduce as much information about the other as possible before engaging. Riddick emanated a low growl and stood, slowly unfolding to his full height, well aware of how intimidating that was to most men. He turned his head just enough for the light to reflect off his eyes for a fleeting moment.

“Richard B. Riddick.”

The other tilted his head slightly. “Riddick,” he repeated as if rolling the syllables over his tongue, tasting the name. Riddick was surprised to hear such a deep voice, almost to match his own, coming from that slender body. “Where am I… Riddick?”

Something about the way the man said his name both pleased Riddick and made him want to put a hand on his knife. He resisted the impulse.

“A planet known as L28, somewhere in the Qualar System. The craft you were on crashed here.”

The man nodded slowly, his eyes taking another glance around the cave before locking back on Riddick. “…And when am I?”

“Do you want that in years or should I give it to you in centuries?” The other simply stared. “This is the 26th century by the Terran calendar. According to your craft’s logs, you’ve been frozen for at least three hundred years.”

This time there was a reaction from the man. A momentary widening of his eyes and sharp intake of breath. “My Crew,” he breathed. 

“It was just you and the two pilots in the craft. Both the pilots have been long dead, the craft was too small for any others.”

“I see…and you revived me…why?”

“Curiosity. I’ve never met a living relic before.”

“You have no idea how right you are,” the man said, bending his head into his hands and rubbing his temples. 

The gesture signaled something between them, there would be no fight here, not today. Riddick turned and opening the straps of the entrance flap looked outside at the darkening sky.

“Rest some more,” he told the man without looking at him. “I’ll go get us our dinner.” He didn’t wait for a reply nor did he hear one as he left.

***

Khan’s head throbbed something fierce, and what he learned so far didn’t help at all. He bent his head into shaky hands and rubbed at his temples, trying to soothe away some of the pain. 

“Rest some more. I’ll go get us our dinner.”

Riddick’s deep voice barely registered among Khan’s chaotic thoughts. It was the cold gust of wind, briefly intruding the cave at the man’s exit, which alerted Khan that he was now alone.

He let his hands drop on his fur-covered lap and took a more leisurely look around his surroundings. There was no doubt that he was inside a large cave. It was warm, dry and almost every surface, including most of the walls, was covered in white or light-colored furs. Except for an area of about a meter around the fire pit. 

He seemed to have been laid out on a natural ledge that probably served as Riddick’s bed and if he was to judge by the number of furs on it, the man liked comfort.

Khan pushed the heavy furs off him, briefly noting his nudity, and swung his legs over the side. He stood carefully on shaky legs and began the process of reawakening his stiff muscles, stretching and flexing until the shakiness ceased and his headache faded some. 

His body now fully awakened his thoughts turned to what the hell happened this time? If Riddick was to be believed he had been frozen for another three hundred years – that meant he was six hundred years away from his own time and he had no idea where his crew was. Could he even hope, against all odds, that they were still alive? And why was he in a cave? Had there been some cataclysmic event to knock humans back into the Stone Age or was this a Riddick thing? The man had woken him from cryosleep so technology was not unfamiliar to him, yet his bushy hair and beard – not to mention his primitive clothing – suggested otherwise. He also mentioned that they were not on Earth. 

This was turning out to be a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma and he needed to unravel it. 

He wondered to the cave’s entrance and took a moment to admire the skin which functioned as an entrance flap. He’d never seen skin as thick as this before, at least twice as thick as that of an elephant, and it was all one piece over the cave’s mouth. The beast it came from must’ve been massive. 

A slid had been cut into it, held closed by pieces of bones and leather straps, which were now undone. He pulled the slid open and was instantly assaulted by a freezing wind. He peered outside but all he could see was an endless whiteness. Snow and ice as far as his enhanced eyes could see. He pulled the slid closed again and hurried back into the cave, pausing for a few moments at the fire pit before exploring the rest of the cave. 

He found pots and basic everyday tools, some made from what appeared to be scrap metal and others from bones or even rock. When he pulled back one of the wall fur covers he discovered a nook filled with bone tipped spears, various types of knives, axes, and other things he could only deduce their use from the rest of the contents. He considered arming himself but decided against it. He had too many questions and his ‘host’ seemed to be the only one around to answer them. This Riddick didn’t seem like a man who would submit to force; he would have handle him carefully until he knew more.

A wave of dizziness came over him. He was still recovering from his reanimation, had not had any nutrition yet and he desperately needed sleep, real sleep. He made his way back to the ledge and crawled under the furs. Recovery first, plans later. If the caveman had wanted him dead he would have never woken up in the first place. With that thought both disturbing and reassuring, Khan drifted back to sleep. 

***

Riddick unceremoniously dropped the now frozen solid carcass of the ice-pig next to the fire pit and removed his goggles. His eyes roamed over his territory noting everything that had been moved – and carefully put back – in his absence. Seems he had a little explorer on his hands.

He quickly moved to where he kept his hunting gear and weapons, a careful look told him that nothing was taken. At least the man was no fool. He picked a large, machete type, blade he had made out of scrap metal and a smaller skinning blade.

He walked up to his bed and looked down at the lump under the furs. His sensitive ears picked up the deep breathing of the extremely exhausted. Waking up from cryosleep took a toll on anyone’s body, and the type this man had been put under made it a miracle Riddick was able to revive him at all. He still wasn’t sure how the man had survived it. Since his guest wasn’t waking up anytime soon, Riddick set to the task of defrosting, skinning and preparing their meal.


	2. Blue Star

The meat was almost done, drops of fat sizzled as they dripped into the open flame, filling the cave with a tantalizing aroma, and Riddick finally saw movement from under the furs. A hand with long delicate fingers emerged and grabbed at the edge of the covers, pulling them back to reveal tussled dark hair and a pair of nearly luminous blue eyes. The softness of sleep lasted only a moment as the rest of the face was revealed, hard and calculating. 

“If you want to eat, get up. I don't intend to wait on you hand and foot and I won’t have you messing my bed with grease,” Riddick said pointing at the other man with a knife and then at the cooking meat.

Khan’s eyes followed the knife’s point to the meat as he sat up. “Is there any water?”

“Right there,” Riddick pointed with the knife again, “and there’s some warming up there, next to the fire, in case you want to wash up a bit.” He cut some of the meat, checking how far along it was, listening to the rustle of furs as the other got out of bed. 

He watched him from the edge of his vision while turning the meat. Khan didn’t bother grabbing one of the furs and instead walked up to the fire pit, naked.  
When there was no further movement Riddick looked up and saw Khan, head slightly tilted back, staring down his nose at him. Riddick raised an eyebrow and stared back, now that he was up and about Riddick had to amend his original impression of him, he was indeed slender but it was all lean muscles. Although his skin was perfect - not a single scar or blemish - he didn’t get the sense of someone who had been pampered, on the contrary, every instinct told Riddick that a predator stood before him. 

Riddick removed his goggles and took a long moment, deliberately looking at Khan from head to toe. The sharp features of his face outdone only by the sharpness of his eyes, the seemingly permanent frown that crinkled the skin just above his nose. He let his gaze fall to the chiseled chest and down following the toned planes of his body, over the alluringly long limbs and finally the impressive manhood. Khan in turn stood still – completely unabashed – allowing it. His posture leaving no doubt that he was not the least intimidated by Riddick’s brazen scrutiny. Riddick was not usually attracted to other males but looking at this one a single word kept circling his thoughts. Beautiful.

“I thought I had imagined it or that it was a trick of light…” Khan murmured.

Riddick looked back up. “What?”

“Your eyes.”

Riddick grunted in response as he stood, noting with a bit of disappointment that they were of the same height. He walked a couple of steps to the side and bend to grab a leather bag he had dropped there earlier. He tossed it at the other man who deftly caught it in one hand. “Clothes, from your ship.”

Khan opened it and looked inside. “A Starfleet uniform.” He looked back at Riddick. “…Perfect.”

“It’ll do for now,” Riddick shot back, not missing the venom dripping from the other’s words. “You never told me your name.”

Khan’s eyes narrowed slightly, perhaps suspecting that Riddick already knew his name. “You may call me Khan.”

Riddick barked a laugh. “May I? How gracious of you.”

Khan ignored the sarcastic reply and walked over to the pot of warmed water. He dropped the bag, removed the pot’s lid, kneeled next to it and started scooping out water to wash himself. “So, the ship I came in, it’s still intact?”

He started with his face, arms, and neck, slowly moving down to his chest. Riddick watched mesmerized for a moment as toned muscles played under pale, wet, skin with every movement. He shook his head sharply and checked on their meal. Been a long time without getting any, Riddick, he thought and focused back on the question.  
“Intact? No. Could it be repaired? Maybe, I’d have to have a better look at it,” he replied and removed the meat from the fire, setting it on a stone slab that served as his table. He used the machete to cut it down to more manageable pieces. 

After a while Khan joined him there, dressed in the blue top – which made his eyes look even more unnatural - and black bottoms Riddick had brought him. He sat on the floor with his legs crossed, watching as Riddick removed meat from bone and sliced it into thin strips. 

“You can start eating,” Riddick informed him, “I’m just preparing the parts I’ll save for later.” He handed him a piece of bone that had plenty of meat still on it, which Khan took eagerly. 

“It almost tastes like bacon,” Khan commented after swallowing the first mouthful. “Thank you,” he added as an afterthought.

“So, how did you end up in a cryotube?” Riddick asked, not stopping what he was doing but also carefully watching the other’s reactions.

Khan kept chewing and Riddick could almost hear the gears working in the man’s brain. 

“It’s a long story.”

“We have lots of time.” 

Khan met his eyes. “I was trying to save my people. I failed.”

“Save them from whom?”

“Them,” Khan said, tapping a long finger over the insignia on his shirt.

“These Starfleet, what are they exactly?”

Khan’s eyes narrowed at the question and Riddick almost grinned at his suspicious nature, he was starting to like the man.

“You never heard of them?”

“I’m guessing from the language on those uniforms that they were Terran, but no I never heard of them.”

“So, you are not…Terran?”

“I’m Furyan,” Riddick answered, letting the change of subject slide. “Are you Terran?” 

Khan stared at him for a long moment. “Yes.” He looked around, “where can I go to…relieve myself?” 

“Outside.”

Another long stare.

Riddick grinned. “Use one of the pots over there.” Once Khan’s back was turned Riddick shook his head, the man never seemed to smile. “We’ll have to make you some suitable attire and soon, I won’t be carrying that outside every time.”

“Agreed,” Khan replied. 

***

Khan washed his hands in his ‘bath’ water before returning to finish the rest of his meal. He took a generous bite, choosing silence this time, as he watched Riddick work.  
He couldn’t figure out the man. Yet. One moment he acted all alpha male, giving gruff orders, and the next he was smiling and making jokes. Khan couldn’t tell if the man was aggressive, laid back or simply insane. If he knew more about his situation he might’ve just gotten rid of him and worked on getting himself away from - wherever he was - and back to Earth. He needed to find out what happened to his crew.

Unfortunately, he was once again displaced in time, alone, and woken from his sleep by yet another stranger. One thing was for sure, insane or not, Riddick had a sharp mind, even if he downplayed the fact, and Khan would have to be mindful of what he said from now on.

Riddick seemed willing enough to put up and share his home with him so far, but from Khan’s experience, nothing came free. Maybe Riddick wasn’t Marcus but that didn’t mean he wasn’t worse.

“Should also make you a sleeping area,” Riddick suddenly said, drawing Khan out of his musings. “Unless you want to cuddle.”

Khan’s eyes dropped to the mischievous grin before looking back at those silvery eyes. “As tempting as that sounds…I kick in my sleep…hard.”

“I can do a lot of things hard in bed myself,” Riddick countered, his grin widening, obviously amused. “Though it would work better if we were both awake for it.” 

Khan’s spine stiffened and his muscles contracted. Was the man trying to intimidate him or did he just assume Khan was at his mercy. He let his voice drop to a low growl. “Is that so?”

Riddick threw his head back and laughed, a very distinct and loud Hahahah laughter that had Khan almost jumping to his feet at its abruptness.

“Relax,” Riddick said after his mirth died down some. “ _When_ I go balls deep into that fine ass…” he leaned forward pinning Khan with his unnatural, animalistic eyes. “It’ll be because you asked me to…Sweet-like.” He grinned like a cat with a mouse.

Khan leaned back slightly and fixed him with an incredulous look then his own amusement rose and he grinned dangerously back. “Oh… you _are_ bold, Mr. Riddick.”

Riddick nodded, obviously pleased with himself and slowly set the machete down as he rose to his feet. “First thing first,” he said as Khan followed suit. “Making you suitable clothes or that ass will freeze off before I ever get to it.”

Khan swallowed his retort, refusing to let the man get another rise out of him. “If you lend me the proper tools and materials, I’m sure I can manage.” 

Riddick grunted, all amusement from before vanishing from his posture and face with the blink of an eye.

“I will help replenish your supplies, of course,” Khan added unsure still of the man’s mood swings. He seemed suddenly suspicious of him.

“I could use a nap,” Riddick finally said, making his dilemma all too obvious to Khan. He walked towards one of the wall covers and peeled it back, revealing yet another storage area. He returned with a large bundle of skins, furs, cords, and tools. “Might be easier if you use my clothes as a reference,” He added as he dropped the bundle at Khan’s feet and started removing his coat.

Khan’s eyebrows arched as the layers fell to reveal a powerful body underneath. Riddick was left wearing a tight, sleeveless, black shirt that served to show off arms larger than Khan’s thighs - which looked to be carved out of solid steel - swollen pectoral muscles, a six-pack of abdominal muscles, and a tantalizing V cut which ended at the belt area of his grey cargo pants. The legs inside those pants didn’t look any less impressive than the top parts. No wonder the man was so cocky.  
When Khan finally managed to pull his eyes away from Riddick’s body and back to his face he was met with a knowing smirk and a wink. 

Khan frowned, the man was also incorrigible. “Thank you,” he said stiffly and crouched down to inspect the tools available to him. 

Riddick, without further comments, also unstrapped and removed his boots. He left them next to the rest of his clothes for Khan’s inspection and moved towards his bed.

“Khan,” Riddick’s voice came after a while.

“Yes?” Khan replied without turning from his work.

“I am a very light sleeper.”

The warning clear, Khan turned and looked Riddick squarely in the eyes. “ _When_ I kill you, Riddick, it won’t be while you are sleeping.”

Riddick chuckled and rolled on his back, pulling the furs over himself. 

Khan listened as Riddick’s heartbeat slowed down to a steady beat and his breathing deepened as he quickly fell asleep. He shook his head bemused as he realized he kind of liked the man and went back to work.

***

Riddick woke up alone. He got out of bed and found his clothes where he had dropped them. The tools were neatly set aside, next to an equally neat pile of leftover materials. His eyes shifted to the cave’s entrance and saw that the straps were undone. 

With a sigh he started putting his clothes back on. Not looking forward to going outside looking for Khan in the daylight. What was he thinking, leaving the cave?  
He was pulling his boots on, basically fuming, when the entrance slid parted and Khan walked in brushing snow off his new, rather well-made winter outfit. He put something on the floor to tie down the entrance and picked it back up again before turning and pausing at the sight of Riddick. 

He lifted the item he was holding and Riddick saw it was a small pot. “I emptied and cleaned the… waste pot.”

“Alone and unarmed?” Riddick all but roared. “You went outside, to an unknown location, unarmed and without even-” Riddick forcibly stopped himself, closing his eyes and tightening his fists in an attempt to calm down. When he had control of his anger again he opened his eyes to find Khan still standing by the entrance, watching him apathetically. “There are a lot of dangers out there you’re not aware of.” He informed Khan more calmly.

“I am more than capable of taking care of myself,” Khan said in the low growl Riddick was coming to understand as ‘you’re crossing the line’, “and I didn’t go far,” he added more softly, evidently offering a truce.

Riddick nodded, not even sure why he had gotten so angry in the first place. Why did he care if this man whom he only knew for a few hours got himself killed? The memory of someone else he saved years ago, only to die in his arms the second time they met, crossed his mind - perhaps because Khan had a similar attitude that sometimes reminded him of her.

“You… finished your clothes already.”

Khan raised an eyebrow. “And I’m relieved to see you put yours back on.”

“Hah! I only got dressed to go looking for your tiny ass.”

Khan offered an impish grin “I thought you said I had a _fine_ ass,” he quipped as he, at last, made his way further into the cave. “Hungry?” he asked as he walked past Riddick on his way to the food. 

“You do, and always,” Riddick growled and he didn’t mean for food.

Khan snorted as he prepared two bowls of meat and handed one to Riddick. “The sun is blue. I’ve never seen a blue sun before.”

Riddick grunted as he popped a piece of meat into his mouth. “It has something to do with its mass and high temperature. The planet we’re on is the furthest planet in this system from the star.” 

“Hence all the ice...” Khan nodded and looked thoughtfully down at his bowl.

Riddick noticed that Khan hadn’t touched his food yet. “Something on your mind?”

“Just how far are we from Earth?”

Something in Khan’s voice made Riddick really look at him, the indifferent expression; the ice-cold eyes… an eggshell façade that Riddick sensed his next words might crush to dust. “I've never seen Earth. I traveled a lot and all I know about it is that it exists somewhere out there and in stories Terrans tell, even though they've never seen it either. So, even if we could fix the craft that brought you here…it would take more than a couple of lifetimes to get there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those that left me kudos! :)


	3. Broken

_If you ever want to see your crew again, you’ll do as you’re told. Disobey me and I will end them._

_You killed them in cold blood…  
You are a murderer!_

_Vulcans do not lie. The torpedoes are yours._

_If you’re feeling dizzy, it’s because I had to take blood to save our Captain… Don’t look at me like that. I also helped save your crew… Yes, they’re alive, we’re not…monsters._

_It is the ruling of this court that the augment known as Khan Noonien Singh be put back into suspended animation, indefinitely and be relocated to an undisclosed location along with the rest of his crew for crimes against…_

Khan opened his eyes but otherwise remained still as the dream faded away and reality started settling in. It had been all for nothing. All he suffered, all the deaths and destruction, for nothing.  
Was he in bed? What was wrong with him? Was it the way he had been revived? Did he overestimate his body’s limits? Or…

When Riddick told him there was no way to get back to Earth, something shattered inside him. Everything seemed far away, dreamlike. He was numb to the core. He barely remembered what happened next. There was a hazy memory of Riddick talking to him but his words were muffled, he couldn’t make out what he was saying. Riddick took something from his hands and then… He was guiding him somewhere, removing his clothes. When did he fall asleep?

He rolled on his back and stared into the darkness of the cave’s ceiling. This was the third time he’d lost his people, but this time he had nothing to lash out at. No purpose, no vengeance to be extracted. There was nothing to keep the tide inside him at bay, not even for a moment. His family had been yet again taken from him and he had no way to at least find out their fate.  
He draped an arm over his eyes, trying in vain to stop the tears that were stinging his eyes for release. The loss was too much to bear and a couple of soft sobs escaped his lips. Suddenly he felt as if his chest was imploding, squeezing and squeezing his heart until the pain forced him to take a shuddering breath. His lungs now painfully full, he howled his despair before dissolving into uncontrollable sobs and whimpers.

Turning towards the wall he curled up into a tight ball in another attempt to regain control but a moment later he felt hands rolling him over and scooping him up. Strong arms wrapped around him gently, but firmly, sitting him on a lap and pulling him against a solid chest. Khan could hear the strong heartbeat, even over his own sobbing. He feebly tried to push away, but he was only held tighter and for the first time in his life he couldn’t muster enough strength to keep fighting, nor did he want to.

“It’s all right, little beastie.” Riddick’s deep voice sounded like a purr that Khan heard as well as felt vibrating from deep within the man’s chest. “Let it out, I got you.” He kissed the top of his head and rubbed his back. “I got you.”

Riddick’s steady heartbeat and soothing voice became the only life raft against Khan’s turbulent and unfamiliar emotions and he clung to them, as well as the man himself, as his grief continued racking his body.

***

When the soft crying started, Riddick got up to leave the cave and give Khan some privacy. He was about to put on his leathers when Khan cried out with such anguish that Riddick froze in the act. It sounded so much like a wounded animal, pure, uncontainable, desperate, that when the whimpers started Riddick found himself dropping his coat and rushing to the man’s side. He’d always had a soft spot for lost and defenseless creatures and before he even knew what he was doing he had Khan wrapped up in his arms.

“It’s all right, little beastie. Let it out, I got you.” He kissed the top of Khan’s head and stroked his back trying to soothe away the sobs that shook his entire body. “I got you.”

Khan’s hand grabbed and twisted his shirt, pulling at Riddick as he pressed his head under his chin and Riddick held him just a bit tighter, unconsciously rocking him back and forth, as he kept stroking his back and speaking calmly to him. “You’ll get through this, I promise, just let it all out. That’s it…”

Eventually, the sobs subsided to stuttering little breaths and hiccups and Khan’s body slowly relaxed in his arms. Riddick kept crooning comforting words at him, soothingly stroking his back until his breathing deepened and Riddick was sure he had passed out.

Not wanting to put him down and risk waking him, Riddick slowly shuffled further up the bed until he could lean back against the wall. Khan mumbled a little protest at the slight shift of position but didn’t wake.

A long time passed, with Riddick watching the flames and listening to Khan’s breathing, occasionally crooning when Khan’s sleep became a bit restless until sleep claimed him as well. When he woke up his arms were empty and the cave silent. He rubbed a hand over his eyes and looked around. The fire was nearly embers and Khan was nowhere to be seen. How did he manage to slip out, twice, with Riddick none the wiser? And this time right out of his arms even.

He hurried out of bed, threw a couple of logs in the pit, and put on his leathers. He was surprised to see that it was night outside. He didn’t usually sleep so many hours, but these last couple of days had been more eventful than his three years here combined had been. Having full use of his eyes he picked up Khan’s trail easily, he hadn’t gone far.  
Riddick found him sitting on a large rock, knees pulled up to his chest and head tilted back, staring at the night sky. His features were partially illuminated by the soft cerulean light of L28’s distant and only moon. The man possessed a strange face to be sure, long and narrow, sharp cheekbones, strong straight nose and a curvy cupid’s bow all of which did not seem to fit together and yet they did. He was otherworldly, alien even, but breathtakingly beautiful.

“I’m sure I already mentioned how dangerous it can be out here, or do you not care if you live or die?”

“Should I?” Khan drawled.

Riddick frowned. “How long have you been sitting here?”

“Not long.”

Riddick’s frown deepened. Khan’s voice was too soft, all the sharpness, the growl of the trapped animal deep inside, gone. It was like talking to a pale shadow of the man that was once Khan.  
“You owe me supplies,” Riddick growled. “So get off your ass, if it hasn’t frozen into that rock already, and come along.” He turned and walked back to the cave, not bothering to check if Khan would follow.

He was halfway through checking his gear when Khan walked in and stood next to him, watching without real interest.

“Which weapon would you be most comfortable with?” Riddick asked and waited as Khan’s eyes roamed over the spears, axes, long knives and daggers.

“All of them,” Khan murmured and kneeled to pick a metallic knife, a couple of inches shorter than his forearm, and a switch scythe the length of his arm.

“Pick a spear too,” Riddick suggested as he picked up his favorite saber claw knives, a couple of throwing knives, and a sturdy halberd, because he liked the option of using it as a spear or a battle-axe as needed.

Khan’s choice was a slender spear about his height, with a sixty-inch long spearhead that sported two, ten-inch long, barbs at its base. It was a weapon specifically designed to latch onto the flesh of Riddick’s prey and do some serious damage, but it needed great strength to hold onto once it penetrated. However, he didn’t say anything because he didn’t expect Khan to fight tonight, not if he had any say in the matter.

***

They’d been walking and hiking for a couple of hours, without a single word exchanged between them, before Khan broke the silence. “What are we hunting, exactly?”  


“Not hunting, gathering,” Riddick replied lightly, pleased that the other man took a break from his brooding. He also couldn’t help but note that Khan didn’t sound the least bit out of breath - the little beastie just might be tougher than he appeared and he was more surefooted under the diffused glow of the moon and stars than Riddick had expected.

“Gathering?”

“Wood.”

“Wood?”

“Seems there’s an echo in this area…”

A heavy sigh, “If we’re going for wood then why did we arm ourselves to the teeth and not a single ax between us?”

“It’s-"  


“Dangerous out here,” Khan cut him off. “Yet all I’ve seen so far is snow, ice and oh look, more snow.”

Riddick grinned, snarky, he liked that. “And let’s hope that’s all you see tonight.”

“Let us pretend for a moment that if I knew what I might face out here could, perhaps, help me prepare for it.”

“The creatures on this planet are either hunters or scavengers or even cannibals. So, you can always assume they are out to get you, one way or another. They all have sharp teeth and usually even sharper claws. The good news is that most of them aren’t bigger than… well, you, but they are ambush hunters and they blend damn well in the snow.”

“Charming planet.”

“The bad news? There is one creature that’s a lot larger and likes to hangout where we’re headed. They are rare though and I haven’t seen one in months.”

“Describe it and any weaknesses. How would I go about fighting it?”

“You won’t. If we do meet one you’ll get well out of the way and let me handle it. That being said, it has four limbs, two used for running and maneuvering and two smaller spear-like ones I’m sure you can guess what for… but the tail will be the first thing you have to worry about. It uses it to stun its prey, possibly break a few bones too, and it’s extremely fast on that first strike.”

He saw Khan eyeing his spear thoughtfully. “You didn’t mention the jaws.”

“If it gets down to the jaws, you’re already fucked. Just keep clear,” he repeated and veered off to the side before coming to a stop. “We’re here.”

Khan came to stand next to him on the edge of the precipice overlooking a ravine. “A… oasis?” he exclaimed, looking down at the first trees, visible dirt and patches of grass he had seen so far.

Riddick grunted an agreement. “Hot springs, and possibly an underground hot spring river.”

“A dormant volcano?”

“The trees that grow here will shed whole branches sometimes. I don’t know why, but its convenient firewood and we only need a few. One log can burn for two to three days and nights. So, in and out, don’t go sightseeing, I know it’s tempting but this is the worst place to dally at.”

“So no ax because no time to chop, got it.”

Riddick led the way down the path he always used to bring the firewood back to his cave. It was not an easy path or the most direct but it was manageable and wide enough to offer secure footing. Once they were down he paused and turned towards Khan.

“If you see rocks and grass on the ground then it’s probably safe, if however you only see smooth dirt use your spear to test it before stepping. There are mud holes here concealed under thin layers of dry dirt and you could fall right through.” When Khan nodded Riddick took a long look over the narrow valley checking for out of the ordinary heat signatures. It looked clear.  
“That grove over there looks promising,” he added, pointing at it, though he wasn’t sure how well Khan could see it in the semi-light.

“Lead the way,” Khan murmured.

***

They were almost done when Riddick noticed something odd near where Khan was tying up his impressive bundle of firewood. Were the puffs of steam rising up from the mud-hole a bit too evenly spaced? The heat coloration a bit too uneven? He rose from where he was crouching and took a few steps forward; too late in realizing what he saw as four large, yellow eyes snapped open.

“Khan!”

Khan looked up at Riddick with a frown, a heartbeat later the creature burst from the mud and landed beside him. Khan twisted to face it, his switch scythe somehow already in his right hand, but the creature was faster and with the element of surprise on its side. The powerful tail slammed into Khan, sending him hurtling through the air to crash against a tree and fall on the ground, motionless.

Just as the beast made to follow one of Riddick’s knives grazed its neck, while the other pierced its shoulder. Neither made any real damage but they served to get the creature’s attention off the prone Khan and onto Riddick.

Riddick picked up his halberd and roared, the creature roared back but didn’t rush at him as he had expected. Instead, it approached him cautiously, spearing the ground with its pointed forelimbs in a display of power, its tail held low and slashing the air behind it. Riddick saw it coming as the creature twisted its body with an impressive burst of speed bringing its preferred weapon into play. He jumped over the tail, just clearing it, and ducked the next moment while simultaneously slashing up with the ax side of his halberd, cutting deeply as the tail swung back and over him.

The creature roared and twisted back to face him, its spear-like forelimbs darting at him with such ferocity that all Ruddick could do was block and retreat. He caught and pushed away an attack at his head with the hook-side of his halberd, but he leaned too far back and lost his balance. He stumbled and his weapon, now stuck, was ripped from his hands and tossed away. In his haste to retreat further, he tripped and fell hard against a boulder.

The creature didn’t waste any time, pouncing forward, both forelimbs raised to attack again. Riddick rolled to his left as a spear-like limb came rushing at him and immediately to the right to avoid the second, only now he was trapped between them and a mouth full of pointy sharp teeth was coming at him. He braced against the rock at his back and kicked out as hard as he could, aiming for the snout. His aim was good and the head snapped back, earning him a moment’s reprieve as the creature shook off the shock and pain.

Riddick desperately looked for a way out, but trying to rush past the creature now might earn him a backside full of teeth. He had to fight it off and all he had was his saber claws, not enough reach. Great, he thought bitterly and pulled out his knives, I got us both killed!

Full of rage, all four of the creature’s big, yellow, eyes fixed on Riddick. It was gathering itself to launch another attack when it gave a sudden grunt and froze as a spear burst out of the middle of its chest, spraying Riddick with blood. Just as abruptly the spear retracted and with a final moan, the creature fell to the side to reveal Khan.

Gore clung to the spear’s tip and barbs, dripping blood onto Khan’s shoulder as he leaned heavily on it. “Well,” he panted, “that was… interesting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What would Khan be like without any hope of reuniting with his crew or able to take revenge? No clue, but this is my take on it.  
> My apologies for any and all mistakes, I must've read this a 100 times and it's all a blur now. x_x


	4. Last one

Riddick stood and walked around the creature to look down at the hole Khan had torn through it, he then turned and looked at Khan, head to toe. His expression said it clearly, he was confused and more than a little impressed. Khan didn’t blame him, no normal human could’ve done what he did but what he asked next was not what Khan had expected.

“Are you hurt?” He approached him and started opening his coat. “Where does it hurt?” 

“I’m fine,” Khan protested, resisting the urge to pull away. The events of the day before came to mind and Khan stood patiently, if awkwardly, as Riddick lifted up his shirt to check his stomach and chest. It would be pointless to refuse the man’s fussing now, after all, he had spent a whole day in his arms crying like an inconsolable child before passing out.  
Cold fingers gently poked and traced areas of his torso and Khan felt his muscles twitch in response. 

“These have already turned purple-green…” Riddick’s eyes lifted to his own. “Just what exactly are you, little beastie?”

Khan raised his eyebrow at the pet name, another memory from yesterday, he shifted his grip on the spear uneasily - unable to process what he was feeling. “I saw you fight that thing,” he shot back. “What are you, Riddick?” 

“I told you, I’m Furyan,” the man replied as if that explained everything. Maybe in this century, it did.

Khan sighed and tilted his head to the side, avoiding that luminous gaze. “I’m human.”

Riddick scoffed and let Khan’s shirt drop back down. “Bullshit. I’ve never met a human that could take a hit like that and get back up, or pierce that thing in one thrust - not to mention pull a barbed spear back out with just as much ease.” He pointed at Khan’s chest and leaned into his line of vision trying to catch his eyes with his own. “And that bruise, it already looks like it’s at least four days old. Now, try again.”

“ _Augmented Human_ ,” Khan growled, turning to face him. “Genetically engineered to be superior, in all regards, from an average human.”

“If that’s so, why aren’t there a lot more of you running around?”

Khan felt as if he had been sucker-punched. “My kind was… outlawed. My- My crew and I, we were the last… _I_ am the last.” He hated the weakness, the emotion in his voice, the tightness that threatened to crush his chest, again. 

Riddick stared at him in silence, the silence stretching until Khan started to seriously consider spearing the man as well, just to get away from his scrutiny and the way it made him feel.

“The ones you tried to save from Starfleet.” Riddick finally stated.

Khan nodded. “Our story began long before that, Starfleet were not the first who tried to get rid of us. I managed to save eighty-four the first time. We commandeered a sleeper ship and escaped earth. Three hundred -or so- years later Starfleet found our ship adrift. I was the only one they revived.” He stopped, pushing down the lump forming in his throat.

“And the rest of your people?” Riddick pressed.

Khan took a deep breath trying to center himself. “They held them as unwitting hostages to control me. You see, by then, my kind had been already outlawed for centuries. We had faded into the pages of history, portrayed as tyrants, monsters, cautionary tales for the future generations of weak humans. So, I presented an opportunity Admiral Marcus couldn’t pass on. He forced me to use my intellect for his own gain and he killed one of my people every time I tried to hold something back, or if he even thought I was holding something back. He wanted to start a war and I was the tool he would use to accomplish his goals, no matter the cost. By the time I realized nothing would be enough to stay his greed... he had already murdered twelve of my people.”

Riddick crossed his massive arms over his chest. “So you started a war against _him_.”

“Not at first. I wanted my people, safe and away from Starfleet’s hands… so I tried to smuggle them out, inside the weapons I had created, but I was discovered by Marcus and forced to escape alone. That was the first time I thought my crew… my family, was dead.” He looked fiercely into Riddick’s eyes. “ _Then_ I started a war.”

Riddick turned and looked at the dead creature and the large pool of blood that had formed around it. When he looked back at Khan his expression was unreadable. “Did you make the bastards pay?”

That was not the reaction Khan had expected.

_You killed them in cold blood…  
You are a murderer!_

Khan averted his gaze. “I… crushed Marcus head with my bare hands.”

Riddick whistled. “That’s impressive, beastie.”

When Khan looked back Riddick was grinning. Unsure how to react Khan started tying up his leather coat. Riddick might’ve been impressed but he didn’t seem the least bit disconcerted and that threw _Khan_ off balance. 

“I’m the last of my kind as well,” Riddick said, finally breaking the silence. “At least, I think I am.” He walked past Khan, who turned to watch him, and found his dropped weapon. “Now, let’s get our stuff and get out of here before we ran into another one of those.”

Khan followed, lost in his thoughts but dutifully picking up his own dropped weapons and the bundle of firewood he had gathered. His thoughts kept circling to his lost crew, his family, and the man walking just a few steps ahead. The last of his kind… Did Riddick feel as lost and alone as he did? Was Khan weak to wish that he had died in that cryotube, instead of waking up without his people, again? 

For just a moment back there, when he saw Riddick impossibly holding his own against a beast five times his size, when Khan rushed in to assist and rammed his spear through its side, for just a moment he felt like himself again. Not the prisoner Khan, not the vengeful Khan, or the broken Khan, but the Khan who had a purpose and something to protect. He was still grieving for his family, he’d always feel their loss deeply, but something had shifted inside him during the course of this night.

Once they were up the path and away from the valley, Khan lengthened his stride and caught up with Riddick.

“How long have you been on this planet, alone?”

“Three years, give or take a few months.”

“How did you end up here?”

“It was my choice.”

Khan looked pointedly around them. “ _Why?_ ”

“I wanted to be left alone, unlikely this place would attract tourists. Seemed like a good choice.”

“Apologies for spoiling your fun, but why did you seek solitude?”

Riddick looked at him and Khan sensed that the man was deciding if he could trust him or not. Whatever the verdict he shrugged his broad shoulders and replied. “You’re not the only outlaw here. There are several bounties on my head and a lot of mercs looking for a payday that large. And before you ask, no, I don’t have a ship. A… friend dropped me off.”

They walked in silence for a while longer before an interesting thought crossed Khan’s mind. 

“Did you,” he hesitated, “ _plan_ what happened tonight?”

The glance Riddick slanted at him almost made him chuckle. “Did I plan you getting flung into a tree and then me having my ass handed to me by that bitch of a thing?”

Khan did chuckle then. “Well, not like that… but were you hoping for some excitement?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“Okay, yeah,” Riddick grumbled, “But not _that_ much excitement, maybe something less hazardous, like an ice-pig.”

“Ice-pig?”

“Hey!” Riddick exclaimed cheerfully, “The echo is back.” He grinned when Khan growled at him. “You looked like you needed to let off some steam.”

Khan bowed his head thoughtfully, chewing on his bottom lip. “Thank you,” he whispered and got a now-familiar grunt as a reply. “It did… help.”

“We also needed the wood. Though, it’s too bad the meat on that thing is so foul, made me sick for days last time, so didn’t risk it again.”

“You killed one of those before? On your own?”

Riddick threw him a glance that said -don’t believe me?- before answering with some amusement coloring his voice. “I was better prepared. I’d seen it before it saw me. It wasn’t all a waste though, its skin made a fine door-flap.”

Khan adjusted the bundle on his back trying to watch Riddick without being obvious. Just how strong was the big man? Was it possible Riddick was as strong as, or perhaps stronger, than him?

“You said three hundred years, before.”

“Hmm?”

“Before Starfleet found you. So, you are six hundred years old now?”

Khan smiled. “Technically… It would seem so.”

Riddick’s eyebrows rose in mock surprise. “Well,” he grinned teasingly, “let’s pick up the pace old man, the sun will be up soon.”

***

They made it back to the cave with no further incidence. Riddick stored away their gear and firewood before he started removing his blood-covered clothes. Once he was down to his shirt and pants, Khan saw small scars, he somehow didn’t notice before, and fresh bruises on his arms and what was visible of his chest.

Without thinking he approached the larger man and gently placed a hand over a slightly protruding set of scars that crisscrossed his right bicep. After he’d seen Riddick fight today he half expected the man to be unscarred, healing as an augment would have, back to smooth perfection. Riddick froze at the touch, only his eyes shifting to watch Khan’s hand as his fingers gently traced the path of those scars towards his forearm where they faded away. 

Riddick visibly shivered when Khan’s fingertips brushed over the soft skin on the inside of his elbow, but he otherwise remained still and silent. Khan looked up into his eyes and wrapped his slender fingers around Riddick’s thick forearm. _What am I doing?_ He thought as he pulled the larger man closer while stepping forwards himself. When he met no resistance from the big man he placed his left hand on Riddick’s chest and gently caressed his way up the muscular chest, over the broad shoulder to the back of his head. He twisted his fingers into the long hair, eliciting a low rumble from deep inside Riddick’s chest that was obviously encouragement. His other hand found its way back up the corded muscles of his arm to squeeze at his large bicep. His eyes dropped to Riddick’s mouth. The full lips, framed by facial hair he normally would have found repulsing, only instead he felt something not the least unpleasant steering in the pit of his stomach. His own lips parted of their own accord as he let out a shaky breath. 

_What the hell am I doing?_

Riddick’s mouth curled into a smile and Khan could no longer resist, he leaned in and pressed his lips tentatively against the larger man’s mouth. Riddick’s strong arms wrapped around his back and hips, crushing him against his rock-hard body, and almost lifting him off the ground. 

He felt Riddick bite at his bottom lip gently, followed by the tip of his tongue tracing over his lip. Khan gasped as the sensation sent a shiver down his spine and Riddick took advantage of the opening to deepen the kiss. 

Riddick’s tongue forced its way past Khan’s teeth and he allowed his mouth to open a bit further to accept it. He was suddenly thankful that Riddick held him so tightly - otherwise, his legs might’ve buckled at the intensity of that kiss and Riddick’s tongue exploring every inch of his mouth.  
Then Riddick was pulling back, nipping Khan’s lip again as he broke the kiss. His hands moved from Khan’s waist to his shoulders as he pushed and held him at arm’s length.

“Easy, beastie,” he said with that maddeningly deep voice of his, drowning Khan’s own growl of protest. “You’ve been through a lot these couple of days and I can tell you’ve never done this before.”

Khan scowled darkly, his mind in turmoil, unable to think clearly. Was he being rejected? He felt exposed to the notion of it and didn’t care for the feeling at all. 

“Don’t get the wrong idea,” Riddick went on, softer this time. “I’d very much like to fuck you, but I won’t take advantage of-” he cut himself off as Khan’s expression darkened to a nearly murderous stage.

“ _I’ll_ decide if someone is taking advantage of me or not,” Khan purred dangerously. “Now… _Riddick_ ,” He grabbed Riddick by the collar of his shirt and pulled him back in.. “I’m asking… _Sweet-like_.”


	5. Submission

Khan was used to intimidating people, it felt natural to him for humans to cower in his presence, but Riddick was not human and he was utterly unfazed by him. That gave Khan pause. He had indeed expected Riddick to take advantage of the situation, the man had made it clear he wanted to from day one, and _now that Khan offered it to him, he wanted to act all chivalrous?_

Riddick’s hands moved up to cover Khan’s. He moved his thumbs along the inside of Khan’s palms, releasing the grip on his shirt while pinning him with his inhuman eyes. Still holding Khan’s icy eyes with his own, he brought one of Khan’s hands to his mouth and kissed the inside of his wrist where it met the palm.

“Calm down,” he murmured against Khan’s skin, kissing it again and switching to the other hand, repeating the action. He licked from the base of his wrist up to the swell of his thumb and Khan closed his eyes, shivering. “Now,” Riddick said firmly and Khan opened his eyes as his hands were released and Riddick stepped back. “We’ll do this my way, little beastie, or not at all. Clear?”

Khan frowned but reluctantly nodded his agreement, curious to see where this was going.

“Remove your clothes.”

Khan remained still, staring at the big man as he took another couple of steps away from him. Inside him, emotions of anger, arousal, indignation, and confusion warred for control. His body started to shake with the need to act on them, any of them.

“I said, strip!” Riddick growled and everything inside Khan came to a halt. 

Khan was in the eye of the storm now, all that was him swirling around him but not touching him. He looked at Riddick and saw two choices, fight or submit. He had agreed to this… He broke eye contact and looked down, his hands moved to the straps of his coat, tugging and untying them with shaky fingers.

“Slower,” Riddick purred, the baritone of his voice reverberating through Khan’s bones and he found himself obeying.

He let his coat drop on the ground and bend down to unlace his boots. He faltered for a heartbeat as Riddick began to move, but the big man didn’t approach him. Instead, he started circling him like a silent predator. Khan shoved down the voice in his head that urged him to stand up and fight. He finished untying his boots and slowly stood, toeing them both loose and kicking them off his feet. He paused, Riddick now completely out of his line of vision.

“Keep going.”

Khan shivered. Why did the man’s voice affect him so? His hands moved to the hem of his shirt. Why did he obey? All of this went against his nature and yet… He slowly pulled the shirt up over his head and tossed it aside. The silence made it increasingly difficult to suppress the urge to turn around and see what Riddick was doing behind him.  
Khan tilted his head slightly, focusing on the man’s heartbeat and was slightly annoyed to find it pulsing steady and slow when his own heart fluttered like a frightened bird inside his ribcage. He closed his eyes and focused on the erratic muscle in his chest, slowing it down until it matched Riddick’s. At the same time, he unhooked the clip of his Starfleet pants, let them drop around his ankles and stepped out of them. 

“Mmm, beautiful,” Riddick drawled. “You are a fearless little beastie, aren’t you?”

Khan scoffed. “Nothing _to_ fear, _you_ can’t hurt me,” he replied with more calm than he felt. 

“Oh, I can,” the low growl came from behind him, so close that Khan felt the warm breath brushing his ear. When did he get so close? “And _when_ I do, you will _beg_ me for more… but not yet, not today.”

Khan held his breath and suppressed a shiver as he felt a finger, feather-light, between his shoulder blades. It traced down his spine to pause at the dimple just above the crease of his buttocks and then was gone.

“You are perfect…” Riddick murmured and Khan felt his breath on the back of his neck before his lips touched down, followed shortly after by his tongue licking up to his nape. Khan couldn’t stop a small gasp from escaping his lips. He closed his eyes and leaned back, just a fraction, desperately wanting more contact. 

“And such an obedient and eager, little pet.” Riddick mocked.

Khan’s eyes snapped open and his whole body went rigid with anger. He started turning but Riddick was faster. His arms wrapped around Khan’s stomach and chest from behind, trapped his arms, and roughly pulled him back against a very hard and very naked chest.

Riddick’s chuckle rang in Khan’s ears as he struggled to free his arms and couldn’t. He couldn’t! Instead, Riddick’s arms squeezed even tighter around him and panic started settling in.  
“Easy… Easy!” Riddick ordered. “Khan! I won’t hurt you, relax,” he said his voice softening and the iron grip around Khan relaxed but didn’t let go. “Calm down…” his deep voice soothed and remarkably, Khan did. “That’s it. Easy now, I was only teasing.”

“Bastard,” Khan hissed, hating how breathless he was, his heart erratic once more, but he forced his body to stop struggling.

Riddick bent his head to Khan’s shoulder, slowly kissing and licking his way up to his neck. “Possibly,” he murmured against Khan’s skin and took a deep breath through his nose as if scenting him. He growled approvingly and Khan realized that he was sniffing him like Khan was some bitch in heat. “Now behave… I warned you, it’s going to be my way.” His tongue flicked Khan’s earlobe before sucking on it and Khan’s half-hard cock twitched in response.

 _This is insane_ , Khan thought. Ironically the first logical thought he’s had since this began. For the first time in his life, Khan believed that someone might be physically stronger than him and the thought both terrified and excited him. Yet he convinced his body to relax further.

Riddick released him then and grabbed hold of his waist instead. His rough hands moving up tantalizingly slow, over his ribcage, around his chest until they met with Khan’s nipples. He rubbed them with the pads of his index fingers until they hardened, shooting spears of pleasure down Khan’s body, and then pinched them hard. Khan moaned and felt his cock hardening fast. 

“Fuck!”

Riddick chuckled. “We’ll get there.” He bit and kissed Khan’s neck, relentlessly teasing his left nipple as his right hand slid leisurely down to wrap around Khan’s now fully erect cock. If Khan had any coherent thought left in his brain, he would’ve been appalled at the noises he was making as Riddick began slowly stroking him. Khan pushed back instinctively to rub his ass against the other man’s crotch and growled his annoyance when he felt the barrier of fabric between himself and Riddick’s equally hard member.

Riddick growled back, yanked Khan roughly closer, and commenced to grind against his ass in sync with the strokes that steadily increased in speed.

Khan felt as if all his senses were on fire and exploding. Shudders raced all up and down his body, weakening his legs. The only thing that kept him standing was Riddick’s arm around his waist, nails painfully and deliciously digging into his side - Just as Khan’s nails were digging into the big man’s forearm and bicep, drawing blood.

“Riddick…” Khan moaned the name as the hand around his cock squeezed harder and pumped him at a speed that had Khan nearly coming undone - A loud menacing growl from Riddick vibrated through Khan’s body and at the sound of it Khan felt the inevitable rush of the oncoming climax. “Riddick!” he cried out. A warning? A plea? He wasn’t sure and he didn’t care, his body now shuddering uncontrollably Khan surrendered with a flood of moans and curses as Riddick milked every last drop from his cock. 

He collapsed against Riddick’s solid body, breathing hard, barely feeling the kisses the man placed on his neck and shoulder. Then Riddick’s arms were gone and, with an undignified yelp, Khan found himself on his hands and knees panting, both from his earlier climax and sudden graceless drop.

He forced his shaky limbs to comply and sat back on his heels, twisting his torso to glare up at the larger man.

Riddick stood over him with a sardonic grin that spoke volumes. “Enjoyed that, did we?” He purred. “Ended a bit too soon for my liking... But that’s what you get with virgins, I suppose.”

Khan’s hands twisted into the furs underneath him. He felt his strength returning along with his rage. Rushing to the surface like a torrent, threatening to drown him unless he destroyed the root of its cause to reclaim himself. He growled and held himself still with immense effort. 

Riddick simply stared him down, unafraid, and that somehow caused his anger to subside to a low simmer. Riddick’s strength, confidence, and the way he handled Khan - one moment gentle the next cruel - threw him for a loop. The fact was, Khan realized, that he wanted to submit to this man, to let him take control, punish him for failing to protect those he loved, for failing to even avenge them. He felt humiliated and he deserved it. 

“Is that the best you can do?” Khan spat his challenge, hoping to arouse Riddick’s anger. 

Riddick barked a laugh. “No, little beastie, that was the best you could do, but now that that’s out of the way… _shall we begin?_ ” Riddick purred, unbuckling his belt, the grin on his face so voracious that Khan visibly shuddered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was hard to write! It gives me a newfound respect for all the amazing, sexy fiction on this site.  
> Also, my apologies if it feels a bit off. I'm all out of days off and will be writing slower in the future. So, I wanted to get something posted before then. I'll take my time with the next one and try my best to make it more steamy.


	6. Sweet-Like

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sex chapter. Read or skip at your own discretion!

It started as a game for Riddick, knocking Khan off his pedestal a bit. He always found it amusing when others tried to intimidate him and Khan was obviously used to intimidating people. So, Riddick decided to educate him on just who he was fucking with. 

The younger man’s inexperience was painfully obvious and, as Riddick had suspected, he didn’t last long once he had him going. Riddick also wanted to see how far he could keep poking at the beast within Khan, before the augmented human showed his claws, and for a moment it was there. Barely contained pure rage behind devil-blue eyes then gone just as quickly.

“Is that the best you can do?” 

Riddick laughed at the absurdity of that statement. “No, little beastie, that was the best you could do, but now that that’s out of the way… shall we begin?” He unbuckled his belt and grinned with every intention of pushing Khan just a little too far. Khan’s whole body shook violently for a second and the younger man turned away, bowing his head. Riddick hesitated and wondered if maybe he had already gone too far. Had he kicked an already beaten dog until it rolled over?

He finished removing his clothes and walked in front of the kneeling younger man. He couldn’t help not noticing that the bruise on Khan’s chest was now all but gone, though Riddick knew well that not all wounds were visible, or healed as easily.

He nudged Khan’s knees with his foot and the other obediently spread his legs so that Riddick could kneel between them. There were glistening lines of tears on Khan’s cheeks and Riddick reached out, taking his head gently in both hands to wipe them away with his thumbs. He tilted the younger man’s head up, forcing him to look him in the eyes.

“We can stop here, little one, it’s alright.” He stroked back a lock of hair that had fallen onto Khan’s forehead. Why wasn’t he fighting him? He was strong enough to at least try, if their hunting experience was anything to go by. Was he that broken?

Shaking his head no, Khan looked at him with almost pleading eyes. “No,” he said hoarsely. “I need- I don’t want to think. I don’t- Just…”

The why, didn’t matter anymore.

Riddick nodded and placed his hand on the back of Khan’s neck, pulling him in for a kiss. When their lips met he felt Khan’s hands brace against his chest, as the younger man lost his balance. He kept the kiss gentle, just the softest brush of lips on soft lips, allowing Khan to relax into it, to gain enough confidence to pursue more on his own. He slid his free hand up and down Khan’s long, smooth back, scratching lightly and feeling the muscles there flex in response.

When Khan finally started pressing their lips more firmly together, Riddick hummed approvingly and leaned slightly back. As expected the younger man tried to follow and was forced to shift closer in an attempt to keep what balance he had left. Riddick made his move and wrapped both arms around the slim body grabbing hold of Khan’s ass. He playfully growled in success, squeezing those perfect domes firmly a few times, before grabbing harder and lifting Khan onto his lap. Startled, Khan let out a muffled gasp and wrapped his arms around Riddick’s neck, pressing their chests together. Riddick deepened their kiss, invading Khan’s mouth mercilessly with his tongue, at the same time rubbing and kneading his ass until the younger man mewled into his mouth, arched his back, and broke the kiss for air. Riddick nipped the augments chin in gentle reproach and Khan titled his head back, offering his neck instead.

He couldn’t help but grin at how beautifully his little beastie was now responding to him as he bent his head to claim the offered neck. He pulled Khan closer, trapping their hard cocks together, lifting and lowering him slowly to create some friction. It didn’t take Khan long to experiment swinging his hips on his own.

Riddick moaned heavily and allowed Khan to pick his own rhythm. “Mmm yes. That’s my boy. Don’t hold back, let me hear you,” he murmured against Khan’s throat and dragged his teeth on the soft skin for emphasis.

Khan shifted his legs to better straddle Riddick and grinded harder against his cock, moaning shamelessly whenever Riddick’s tongue discovered a particularly sensitive area. Riddick’s hands gave Khan’s firm ass one last, hard squeeze before sliding up the slender body, one to support at his lower back as the other reached up from behind and grabbed a fistful of short hair. He tugged until Khan’s back was as arched as it would go, and hunched over to take one of the deliciously dark nipples into his mouth. 

Khan’s body jerked, his legs clamped down around Riddick’s hips and his moan would’ve made a whore blush. When Riddick switched and grazed the other nipple with his teeth he was rewarded with a gasp and sharp nails raking his shoulders.

“Please. Riddick! Please.”

Riddick growled, licked up Khan’s chest and stood on his knees. Tipping them both over he gently lowered Khan down on his back. He draped his much heavier body over Khan’s and begun to move languidly against him while sucking and kissing his neck and jawline. Khan was now twisting and writhing beneath him, moaning softly into his ear in such a way that Riddick knew he was close to the edge again. He smiled into the younger man’s neck finding his lack of control endearing and even sexy. After all, they were only just beginning Khan’s education, didn’t even get to the good parts yet, and Riddick was in no rush. He picked up the rhythm, his hands roaming Khan’s body, grinding harder and faster. He tilted his head to watch Khan’s profile. The augment’s head was tilted back - his neck arched ever so beautifully - eyes squeezed shut and lush mouth working around unspoken pleas or curses.

“Don’t hold back,” Riddick growled low into Khan’s ear, “I want to see you come.”

Khan’s eyes snapped open, his body arching hard under Riddick’s and with a drawn-out grunt, his hips bucked a few times as he spilled his seed between their bodies. Riddick eased back to a slow grind, enjoying the wetness which now coated both of their stomachs and cocks, before stopping completely. He kept kissing and nibbling gently along Khan’s jawline and neck, giving him time to catch his breath. Feeling the younger man’s erratic pulse under his lips, his panting music to his ears as his own erection now throbbed for attention.

“I’m sorry,” Khan breathed after a while.

“Don’t be,” Riddick murmured, nuzzling and kissing his neck.

“What about you?”

“I enjoyed the show.” He rose on his elbows and looked down at Khan’s flushed face. “Besides,” he kissed his mouth and looked into his eyes. “We’re not done.”

Khan nodded, his eyes bright even though half-lidded, and shifted, moving his hips slightly. Riddick frowned and lifted his body slightly to look down between them. He had felt right, Khan was still, very much, rock hard. 

“You are full of surprises, beastie.”

“Why do you call me that?” Khan asked quietly. 

Riddick lowered himself back down and kissed him sweetly, enjoying how soft and amiable Khan was being after two orgasms. “Because,” he replied when he broke the kiss. “I can see you. Now, don’t move.” He gave him another quick kiss and got up, well aware that Khan watched his every move as he made his way to the small storing container he kept next to the bed. He opened the lid and removed the small bottle of oil he kept there and a piece of cloth. He was considering calling Khan to the bed, but when he turned and saw him he changed his mind.

Khan hadn’t moved, as told. His head was turned towards Riddick, hand’s resting lightly on his flat stomach, knees bend but held apart, with his feet resting firmly on the ground and his cheeks flushed a pretty shade of red. The light from the fire reflected in his eyes and cast playful shadows on his body, on all the places Riddick wanted his hands and mouth to be. He slowly walked back to Khan, wiping himself clean and grinning wolfishly down at the younger man as he knelt back between his legs.

“You really are fearless, aren’t you?” Riddick purred and his grin grew when Khan spread his knees further in response. He handed Khan the cloth and watched him wipe himself clean as he opened the bottle and poured a generous amount of oil into his hand. Khan tossed the cloth to the side and watched him back expectantly as Riddick rubbed the oil between his fingers and on his large shaft. 

He put the bottle carefully to the side and lifted Khan’s legs up as he leaned over him. Khan shifted slightly and ran his hands up Riddick’s arms, to his shoulders, down his chest, and to his sides, tracing the muscles gently with his fingertips. Their eyes locked as Riddick slid his hand between their bodies and further down between Khan’s legs, his oiled fingers tracing a wet line over Khan’s swollen cock to his entrance. 

Khan gasped and jerked slightly at the first touch and Riddick felt the ring of muscle contract. He growled quietly as he felt his neglected cock jump in response, suddenly unsure if he could hold himself back much longer. He rubbed the oil over Khan’s tight entrance and massaged his perineum before he pushed the first finger past the unyielding ring, a bit harsher than he had indented. Khan though just arched his back, moaned with undeniable pleasure, and dug his nails in Riddick’s sides. He moaned again and again as Riddick worked his finger around until he found that rounded bulb of tissue and pressed upwards on it.

“Oh, fuck!” Khan cried out and reflexively thrust his hips.

Riddick was relentless, hitting that spot over and over until Khan’s body was nearly out of control, clawing and convulsing under him, saying fuck, fuck over and over. Riddick halted suddenly and Khan slumped down breathless but his reprieve was short-lived as Riddick added another finger. The moan that followed was almost a wail and Riddick’s own body trembled with pent up desire. Then Khan’s hand was on Riddick’s shaft, stroking it firmly as the younger man lifted himself up on his free arm and kissed Riddick roughly. He bit Riddick’s lip hard and pulled back almost drawing blood.

“Fuck me for fuck’s sake! Please, Riddick!” Khan pleaded breathlessly and twisted his hand on Riddick’s cock, picking up speed.

Riddick shook his head. “You’re…too tight,” he panted, barely controlling himself.

Khan lifted himself higher and bit at his ear. “Fuck. Me. Now,” he growled dangerously and Riddick lost all control.

He pushed Khan back, slamming the smaller man on the ground, and fell on him with a fierce growl. Teeth sought flesh and found it at the crook of Khan’s neck as his hand desperately guided his now aching erection to the tight entrance. He shoved his shaft, balls deep, inside Khan with one ruthless thrust and moaned with satisfaction at the warmth and tightness around his cock. He gyrated and swung his hips, pushing to go even deeper, enjoying the feeling of muscle clutching and pulsing around his cock when he felt hands touching his hips and moving up to his waist.

Riddick came back to himself with a start. He let go of the skin between his teeth and lifted his head up, looking at the marks he left there before turning to look at the face next to his. Khan’s gaze was steady, calm, and a smile played at the corners of his lips.

“Is that all you got?” Khan teased in his sonorous voice, sending a shiver down Riddick’s spine. 

Riddick pulled out halfway and slammed back in. “Hardly,” he growled, thrilled when Khan let out a breathy moan and rolled his eyes in pleasure.

“Well then,” Khan said, looking back into Riddick’s eyes. “Fuck me, and don’t you fucking hold back.”

Riddick could take it no more, without pulling out he spread his knees and sat back on his heels pulling Khan with him by the hips. He placed Khan’s legs to his waist and the younger man understood and wrapped his legs around him tightly. Leaning down again Riddick pinned both of Khan’s wrists just over his head. They locked eyes and Riddick started pounding into the tight hole, hard and fast, angling his thrusts to hit Khan’s prostate as often as possible.

The beautiful sounds Khan was making as he twisted and writhed reaching another orgasm spurred Riddick to abandon all restraint and go full Furyan on the augment. Waves of pleasure crashed through him as his own intense orgasm rocked his body. He thrust deep into Khan, going rigid and thrusting again until every drop of his seed was spilled into Khan’s ass.

Khan’s legs loosened from around him and fell limp to the sides. Riddick could feel the man’s thighs trembling, or was that him? With a groan of pure satisfaction, he released Khan’s wrists and bent over his body, resting his forehead on his chest. He watched their bellies go up and down erratically as their diaphragms worked overtime to get air into their lungs.

Riddick felt his softening member slide out of Khan and smiled when the man gave a satisfied hum. 

“And you call me a beast,” Khan’s voice was soft and husky.

Riddick lifted himself up enough to look at the younger man’s face. He was greeted with a very satisfied smile. “Are you feeling alright? Does it hurt?” 

Khan chuckled. “I told you, you can’t harm me... At least, not with your penis, no matter how impressive it is.”

Riddick petted Khan’s thighs and his eyes fell on his neck, where he had a vague memory if biting down hard. The skin was perfectly smooth and unmarked. With a nod, he pushed Khan’s left leg down and heaved himself off to lie next to the man.

“That’s good,” he said as he settled on his back. “I guess after more than three years without, I lost control.” He lifted his arm and pulled Khan to him, he fell asleep the moment Khan’s head settled on his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm new at this writing stuff...so, any helpful tips/ suggestions for improvement are welcomed. Just be gentle :D


	7. A New Animal

Khan listened to Riddick’s heartbeat and even breathing for a while. He himself was wide awake. He lifted his head and glanced at Riddick’s face as he slowly extracted himself from the big man’s arms and stood. 

He watched Riddick sleep for a moment longer, taking in the powerful body that only moments ago had him so effectively pinned. His eyes moved lower to the man’s imposing manhood, now resting limply in a tidy nest of curly hair, still glossy from the oil and semen. Khan shivered at the memory of it inside him, the fleeting pain, the mindboggling pleasure, and wished the pain had lasted longer. But, if there was something his body excelled at, it was adapting to pain. Normally he wouldn’t mind, but pleasure was not really what he had been after.

He felt something trickle slowly down the back of his thigh and made a face. He turned away from the sleeping man and walked to the water-pot Riddick always kept close to the fire. He scooped out some of the water into a bowl and grabbed the cloth they had discarded earlier. He rinsed the cloth out a few times and cleaned himself carefully, wishing he could take a proper bath.

His stomach cramped for an instant, reminding him that his body needed fuel to restore the energy it had expended on healing. He walked over to Riddick’s stash of preserved meat, raided a large portion for himself, and took it back to the fire. He sat across from Riddick to eat, watching the man the whole time, musing on the odds of meeting someone like him. 

He had heard stories before, of aliens who were supposedly many times stronger than an average human. Like the Klingons. Marcus had been so fixated on the dangers they posed, yet Khan had found them to be almost as pathetic as humans when he fought them…or the Vulcans. If he hadn’t been so injured he would’ve crushed that pointy-eared bastard in an instant. Even injured he nearly had him, but that human woman showed up with her phaser.

Riddick stirred in his sleep and Khan’s eyes narrowed. _I could just kill him now._ He thought. _It would be easy, eliminate the threat before…before what? I have nothing to fight for. Do I even care? I allowed this man to dominate me and I don’t even feel angry about it._

Feeling disjointed he put down the half-eaten food, picked up the cloth, rose to his feet and walked over to Riddick. He kneeled next to the big man and looked him over, he seemed deeply asleep and vulnerable. Khan hesitated a moment and then slowly reached out with the cloth to clean the man’s stomach and genitals, there was no reaction from the sleeping man. He put the cloth aside and reached out to pass his fingertips lightly over the curly hairs. He didn’t know why he felt so attracted to this man; he fascinated him, put him on edge and woke a need in him to just submit. It felt primal yet right. Khan’s lizard brain was waging a war with his logical side, leaving him behaving erratically and out of character, like now. It was not in his nature to be gentle. Had his brain been damaged somehow in cryosleep or during his reanimation? Was it possible there was something wrong with him that his body couldn’t repair?

He glanced at the man’s face again, still no signs of waking up. Unable to control the impulse, Khan leaned over Riddick and gently stroked his beard, remembering how it had tickled his skin earlier. _It would be so easy. Snap his neck or get a knife and cut that pulsing vein in his neck,_ the voice in his head whispered. _No more confusion if he’s dead._

“Your cheek is as smooth as a baby’s arse.”

The sudden deep voice startled Khan and he leaped back, or tried to, his wrist was caught. He looked at the large hand wrapped around his wrist in shock. He had missed the movement completely. He looked at Riddick’s face frowning and the man finally opened his cat-like eyes and smiled.

“Augments don’t grow facial hair,” Khan informed, recovering some. _Perhaps not so easy after all._

“Or body hair, it seems,” Riddick countered.

“No. We don’t.” He squeezed his eyes shut momentarily as his heart thumped hard against his ribs. “Our creators probably thought it too…primitive,” he went on and pointedly looked at Riddick’s hand, still holding his wrist.

Riddick let go and sat up. “Creators?” 

“We were created in a lab.”

He looked Khan over as if seeing him for the first time. “My compliments to your creators…”

“They’re dead. We killed them all,” Khan replied dispassionately.

“Ah, why?”

Khan tilted his head. “We were just experiments to them. They were torturing us on a daily basis, testing our limits, training us. We hated and feared them, eventually, we simply hated them.” Why was he telling Riddick any of this? 

“That’s why you call the other augments your family. You’ve been through hell together.” Riddick’s voice was so soothing.

Khan nodded. “We only had each other.”

“I see,” Riddick said gently. “They might still be out there, you know. You made it, they might have too.”

Khan knew the Furyan meant well so he held back from snapping at him. “That might apply to your people as well.”

Riddick shrugged. “I never met my people, so I feel no ties to them. Well, that’s not entirely true. I met one other Furyan, briefly, before he killed himself.”

“And you never looked for more?”

Riddick just looked at him and Khan couldn’t guess what he was thinking. His eyes were impossible to read.

“How about you get me some of that meat as well?” The big man eventually said. 

Khan scowled, just how long had he been awake? “I’m not your servant,” he snapped but brought the food over anyway, trying hard to ignore Riddick’s grin. “Can you take me to the ship?”

“Sure,” Riddick said accepting the bowl and setting it down between them. “I was planning to go back anyway. Things to salvage.”

“Today?” Khan asked, taking a piece of meat for himself.

“Tonight. The sun here can be brutal.” 

“Your eyes…they are sensitive to the light.”

“Yes, the sunburn isn’t fun either…though I guess you’d recover quickly from that too... How’s your ass?”

Khan nearly choked on the meat. He glared. “It’s fine.”

“Oh yes, yes it is.” Riddick purred and grinned. 

“You _are_ incorrigible.”

“And you’re blushing. _Cute_.” Riddick’s eyes crinkled with amusement. “So, how is it that a six-hundred-year-old man landed on my cock still a virgin?”

“ _Must_ you, speak like that?”

Riddick chuckled. “You can always sit on my lap and shut me up.” 

Khan stood with a frustrated growl and looked for his clothes. “I’m not your whore either.” The man was lucky he still needed him.

“No, but you are easy to tease. Let me guess, you were a leader of sorts.”

“Try emperor,” Khan snapped pulling up his pants. 

He turned and Riddick was only a couple of inches away. The big man wrapped an arm around Khan’s waist and pulled him closer before Khan had time to back away. 

“Emperor, is it?” Riddick murmured.

Their eyes locked and Khan sensed it then. The man _was_ exuding something that made Khan’s defenses falter, made him want to submit. He felt his eyes widen as his brain put it all together. His brain wasn’t damaged! Unless somehow being susceptible to whatever Riddick was doing was to be considered a flaw. But now that he knew the source he could control it, think around the primal instinct that told him his Alpha stood before him.

With a somewhat clearer mind, Khan searched Riddick’s eyes and face. It seemed that the man was just as unaware of this effect as Khan had been until a moment ago. Whatever Riddick was doing it was instinctive, part of what he was and not wholly in his control. Though, being a cocky bastard probably amplified it.

“What’s wrong?” Riddick asked, pulling back a bit, probably sensing the change in Khan’s mind-set.

 _Could I use this to my advantage?_ Khan thought, his mind quickly running through the possibilities. “Nothing,” He said, placing a placating hand on Riddick’s large bicep. “I got a little lightheaded. My body is still recovering.”

“Sit down,” Riddick ordered gently and helped him do just that. “I’ll get you some water and we’ll finish that meal.”

Khan watched Riddick from beneath his lashes, his suspicions now confirmed. Whatever drove him to sense Riddick as an Alpha also drove the man to be protective of his… What was Khan to the man’s inner animal, exactly? Pack member? Potential mate? He grinned at the thought. He could definitely use this.

Riddick handed him a cup of water and pulled on his own pants before retrieving the food. Khan was surprised to find that he was a little disappointed. Riddick was an impressive specimen and easy on the eyes, he wouldn’t mind taking that ride again. Perhaps his attraction to Riddick wasn’t wholly based on that ability of his.

“Your highness,” Riddick teased as he sat next to him and placed the food in front of them.

“I think you mean, Your Imperial Majesty,” Khan teased back and started eating. 

Riddick laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

They finished their meal in silence and Riddick stood to rinse the bowls. He put on his goggles and went outside to get rid of the used up water. When he returned, Khan was leaning back on his elbows, watching the fire with half-lidded eyes, his feet stretched out towards the flames. He looked up when Riddick walked closer and saw the man watching him thoughtfully. Khan nearly smiled, Riddick was smart, he was sensing something was different in Khan, even if he didn’t figure out what yet. Khan wasn’t sure if he had it figured out either, but he did feel more like his old self. 

“It’ll be a couple more hours before the sun goes down,” Riddick told Khan, removing his boots and coat. “We should get some sleep, it’s a long trek.”

Khan stretched lazily and lay down completely, yawning. “Lay down with me then.” He beckoned Riddick with a slight purr in his tone. Might as well stay on the man’s good side and keep him off balance.

Riddick lowered himself down next to the younger man. He held his arm out over Khan’s head and Khan rolled over draping his arm and leg over Riddick’s body, nestling his head under the big man’s jaw. Riddick held him, rubbing his side with long slow strokes and Khan started to relax into sleep.

“You are a weird one, Your Imperial Majesty.” He heard Riddick’s voice rumbling through the large chest. “I can’t tell if you want to fuck me or kill me.”

“Both,” Khan replied sleepily and kissed his chest. “But right now, I just want to sleep.”

***

Riddick was used to people wanting him dead while also needing something from him. Hell, that had been the basis of most of his interactions with others. In this, Khan seemed to be no different, except Riddick felt that there was more to it. A lab experiment that became an emperor, who was then apparently overthrown and narrowly escaped death only to be awoken centuries later to be used against his will. And now, he was here, alone, with Riddick and apparently lost. Piece by piece Riddick was putting the puzzle together and he couldn’t help but feel a kinship to the man in his arms.

Despite his suggestion to get some sleep, he stayed awake thinking. His mind turned to Kyra, small-framed, lithe, feral Kyra. They were very different and yet Khan reminded him of her. A new animal, as she had so delicately put it and Khan was just a different kind of animal. Riddick sensed the need to belong inside Khan just as he had with Kyra, even as they both hated it.

_Riddick! When I said I didn’t care if I lived or died, you knew I was kidding, right?_

In the end, he hadn’t been able to save Kyra. Instead, she had saved him and died because of it. Because of him. Riddick swore to never get close to anyone again, after that.

_I was always with you…I was…_

Five years later, he had called Vaako to his private chambers and struck a deal with the Necromonger. Riddick would name Vaako, Lord Marshal and in return, Vaako would drop him off on a planet of his choice. But Vaako felt that the trade was unfair and being the stickler that he was, he promised Riddick to return for him if they ever relocated Furya. He even left Riddick a subspace beacon, in case he ever needed to contact Vaako. Riddick doubted the Necromonger would ever return. Vaako had only wanted to make himself feel better about taking the throne without a fight.

Khan shifted and mumbled something in his sleep. Riddick resumed stroking the man’s side and Khan settled again with a small sigh of content. _And now I’m stuck with this feral beastie,_ Riddick thought. _How will it end this time?_

He squeezed Khan gently and closed his eyes.

_I was always with you…I was…_


	8. I Promise.

Their feet crunched freshly laid snow as they weaved their way over the ice at a blindingly fast pace. Riddick didn’t have to look back once to see if Khan was keeping up, he could hear him, always just a couple of steps behind him. When Khan had complained about their slow pace Riddick picked up speed thinking the man would call a halt soon or trip in the semi-light, but that was hours ago and their speed only kept increasing. It was exhilarating to have someone pushing _his_ limits for once. 

When Riddick did stop it was only because they had reached their destination in record time. Khan came and stood next to him, his eyes, framed by the hood and protective cloth over the lower half of his face, even more piercing than usual. Neither of them was breathing too hard.

“Why did we stop?” Khan asked his voice steady and resonating.

“We’re here,” Riddick replied, searching the valley just below the slope they stood on. “The snow covered it, but it’s over there. Come on.”

They skimmed down the slope and Riddick walked to where the small ship should be. The snow was now almost to their thighs. He poked around the ground with the butt-end of his spear and Khan followed suit.

A few moments later he heard a clunk and Khan saying, “Here!”

Riddick joined him. “The front is that way,” he said pointing.

Khan frowned. “The doors are usually on the side or back.”

“And wedged into hard ice. I opened up a hole in the glass when I found the ship. We’ll get in the same way.” He walked, testing with his spear until he found what he was looking for. A dull thud and when he reached in the snow, the edge of the parachute he’d used to cover the hole in the glass. He took hold of the edge and pulled, revealing the hole and pilot compartment beyond.

“Looks like a Federation shuttlecraft,” Khan said from behind him. “Build for short trips, mostly between a planetary surface and orbit. How did it end up out here?” He leaned in to look inside at the snow-free interior. “Good thinking with the tarp,” he added and then slid inside with all the grace of a snake. Riddick took a few moments to cover the entrance as much as possible before he followed. Being cautious was an old habit that always served him well.

“Cover your eyes, big guy.” He heard Khan say and as soon as he did he heard the whooshing sound of a flare.

Riddick lowered his goggles over his eyes and looked around. Khan stood over a small trap-door, which Riddick hadn’t noticed the first time he was here, holding a small flare. It cast an unnatural light on his face, highlighting his cheekbones to the extreme. Khan’s eyes were fixed on the pilots as he moved closer and crouched down to examine them.

“They don’t look ancient,” he commented, poking one on the mummified pilots on the cheek. “This looks more like all the moisture was sucked out of their bodies, but the skin still has some flexibility.” He sniffed. “And they are starting to decompose.” 

“The glass was already cracked a bit when I found the ship,” Riddick put in. “Maybe that happened in space rather than during the crash.”

“Possible.” Khan looked around the ship’s cockpit and down at the controls. “The shuttle doesn’t look like it’s been drifting for centuries either. Judging by the condition of the bodies and of the shuttle…I’d say a few months to a year at most.”

“It still had power when I found it.”

Khan’s head snapped up. “It was working?”

“I heard its engine whining when it fell, but when I came in, it seemed dead. I must’ve triggered something, however, because the lights came up and there was a voice from the computer. It said something about switching to auxiliary power.”

Khan frowned. “It’s possible that the ship lost power in orbit and started to fall, then some kind of backup systems came online when you entered the cockpit.” He touched the controls panel but it remained unresponsive. “This design is new, probably made years after I was frozen.”

“This could also mean that you weren’t frozen for three-hundred years.” 

“And yet I am three-hundred years into the future and who knows how many light-years from Earth.” He stood and faced Riddick. “Did you find out anything else? Before the power went out?”

Riddick took a moment to think. “The logs said you were being moved to some kind of station… Cold Station 12 of the Interspecies Medical Exchange.” Khan’s face lost all color and his eyes went so wide Riddick could see white all around his irises. “You know of it.”

“You… could say that.” He cleared his throat. “Cold Station 12 is what they called one of the labs from my time. It was said to be located somewhere in the arctic and rumored to have thousands of augmented embryos stored there. We were never able to find its location, eventually, we assumed that the rumors had been just…rumors. But this new station… it can’t be a just coincidence. What else?”

“Then I found you, back there,” Riddick said, pointing at the door behind them.

Khan rose and strode quickly over to the door, forcefully shoved it open and paused at the threshold. “This isn’t my design,” he said, sounding offended and slowly walked in.

Riddick followed and watched as Khan examined the cryostasis unit. The furrow between Khan’s eyebrows growing deeper and deeper as his confusion turned to anger.

“Those idiotic bastards!” he growled. “They switched my design for one with an external source of power.”

Riddick folded his arms over his chest. He knew exactly what that meant. “If the external power source is somehow damaged…” 

Khan nodded. “The units go with it.” 

“You think they did that so they could eliminate your people, in case someone attempted to take the station by force?”

“It would be faster than turning off each unit individually.” 

“That doesn’t mean they did, Khan.”

Khan snorted. “Aren’t you the optimist?”

Riddick shrugged. “When you survive being strangled by a Necromonger with your own umbilical cord, you tend to be a little optimistic.” He smiled when Khan looked at him with a ‘what the fuck?’ expression. “There was also a personal log, from one of the pilots.” Riddick went on. “Everything else was unrecoverable.” 

“What did he have to say?”

“It was badly damaged but the main idea was that he was lost and had no clue where he was. He said something about a distortion and the stars being different.”

“Some kind of an anomaly or black-hole?” 

“That was my thought, though I’m not aware of any of those in this system.” 

“It could’ve been an unstable wormhole, appearing one moment in one place then gone the next. But this is all speculations and useless to me now.”

“Then let’s salvage what we can and go.”

Khan looked at him a long moment and Riddick sensed he knew what was coming.

“I’d like to see if I can get power back on. Find out more about how I ended up here.”

“If we stay here that long we’ll have to sleep here, and it’ll be freezing.” 

Khan smiled. “I’ll keep you warm.”

Riddick considered refusing but he could see it meant a lot to Khan to at least try. “How can I help?”

They basically tore half the ship apart, checking wires, and things Riddick couldn’t name. All the while Khan muttering about deuterium, warp coils or cores, crystals and other things Riddick never heard of before. He was a good pilot and could break into a computer easily enough, but an engineer he was not.

Khan eventually slid down one of the walls, curled up, and rubbed at his temples. “It’s pointless.” He said waving a dismissive hand at the ship. “There is no fuel left and the batteries, which were the only thing still functioning, are drained and I have nothing to recharge them with.”

“All the systems were fried anyway,” Riddick said gently. “Even if you got power back there’s no guaranty that you’d find anything useful.”

“I know,” Khan sighed, leaning his head back against the wall.

“But you had to try.” Riddick approached and when Khan didn’t move he sat down next to him. They fell into a companionable silence as the wind howled outside and a slim ray of light began to filter in through the now nearly snow-covered broken glass. When the snow completely covered the window, Khan stirred.

“We might be more comfortable if we moved further to the back?” He asked softly, looking at Riddick’s goggle covered eyes.

“There are some blankets back there too, but you’ll have to put out that flare.” Riddick agreed. 

“That’s fine. There were more in the emergency box.” They stood to go into the backroom when Khan froze. “Did you hear that?” he asked, looking towards the window.

Riddick tilted his head, listening, and didn’t like what he was hearing, at all. 

“That’s the sound of an engine!” Khan exclaimed and started to move.

Riddick grabbed his arm as the augment tried to walk past him to the window. “No.”

Khan glared at him. “Let me go,” he said, dangerously calm.

“I said no. That sounds like a merc ship. They probably picked up traces of your shuttle from when it entered the atmosphere.”

“And it’s my ticket out of here!” Khan snarled and shoved him hard against the wall followed by a solid punch to the head when Riddick didn’t let go.

Momentarily stunned by the force of that punch Riddick’s fingers slipped from around Khan’s arm, swayed and shook his head. He looked up to defend against a second blow but Khan was already moving towards to window. 

With a growl, Riddick rushed at Khan and tackled him to the ground but it was like trying to hold on to a Raptor Cat. Khan viciously buckled and twisted beneath him and Riddick found himself on his back with Khan straddling his chest. Before he could realize how their roles had been reversed so, Khan tore off his goggles and the punches started raining down on him as if from a piston-driven machine. All Riddick could do was block them.

Khan finally paused for a split second to roar in frustration and Riddick buckled his hips up hard, throwing the smaller man off him. He followed, crawling over the smaller body and holding him down with a hand to his chest. Khan kept struggling and punching at anything he could reach, his face twisted with inhuman rage. Riddick punched down once, connecting solidly with a sharp cheekbone, which didn’t seem to faze Khan at all.

“Enough!” Riddick roared into the smaller man’s face and got a teeth-showing snarl in response. He tried to trap Khan’s wrists but instead found Khan’s legs wrapped over his shoulder, his own arms trapped between powerful thighs. With a strong push of his legs, Khan grabbed one of Riddick’s wrists and rolled him over. Riddick felt his elbow straining dangerously and then Khan pulled down hard on his arm. With a sickening pop his elbow was dislocated. 

Riddick roared as his elbow popped out of its socket and instincts took over. He twisted his body and kicked hard at Khan’s head. The augment lost his hold and Riddick jumped to his feet, backing away a few steps. Khan did a perfect kip-up and half-crouched, watching and stalking Riddick like a hellhound. Riddick stopped backing away, stood to his full height, took hold of his own wrist and forcibly popped his elbow back into its socked, all the while never breaking eye contact with Khan. He saw the moment Khan’s eyes cleared a bit as he hesitated at Riddick’s sudden change in attitude.

“Calm. Yourself. Down,” Riddick said, keeping his voice firm and even. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Apparently, it was the wrong thing to say. Khan leaped at him and they both went crashing into the computer console between the two dead pilots. Khan’s hands wrapped around Riddick’s skull and Riddick felt immense pressure steadily building. He could feel and hear his cranial bones starting to creak and shift.

_I crushed Marcus’s skull with my bare hands._

Riddick roared and punched Khan repeatedly in his abdomen and sides. The smaller man grunted and his grip started to loosen. Riddick punched again, with as much force as he could muster, aiming for the liver, and Khan’s hands were gone from his head as he doubled over. Riddick hauled himself off the console and grabbed Khan’s throat, squeezing the long column and punching Khan’s face over and over until Khan was hanging limp from his hand. He twisted him around and bent him over the console, then grabbed his wrists and twisted both arms behind his back. Khan was starting to recover and put some resistance, so Riddick pinned his thighs against the console with his own and lifting Khan’s upper body by the twisted arms he slammed him down hard on the panel.

Bending over he growled in Khan’s ear. “Stop… or I _will_ hurt you.” He slammed him again for good measure.

Khan stopped struggling. His labored breathing the only movement and sound he was making, but Riddick didn’t let go, instead, he twisted the arms harder and pinned him more firmly. Khan grunted but didn’t offer resistance. Riddick held him like that until Khan’s breathing slowed down to normal and the uncomfortable position forced him to try and tentatively shift to a more comfortable position. The gentle friction coupled with the adrenaline from their fight caused Riddick’s cock to stir. He slowly rubbed his shaft against Khan’s ass and growled warningly. Khan froze. 

“…Y-you can’t be serious!” Khan growled back.

“Like a boner,” Riddick responded and draped his body further over Khan’s, nuzzling the back of his neck.

“Riddick?” After a few moments of complete silence.

“Mm?”

“Get off me!”

Cautiously Riddick let go of Khan’s arms and stepped out of reach, watching carefully. Khan slowly straightened himself up and rolled his shoulders before turning to face Riddick. His eyes dropped to Riddick’s crotch and obvious arousal.

“You really are incorrigible,” he said, trying to regain enough composure to look down his nose at Riddick. 

He no longer seemed angry and homicidal so Riddick grinned and shrugged his shoulders. “And you have a very short fuse, beastie.”

Khan’s eyes narrowed. “Why did you let me go?”

“I told you, I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I would’ve killed you.”

Riddick watched Khan’s face carefully. “Were you, in control?”

Khan was taken aback. “I was furious that you tried to stop me… I…” He hesitated and tilted his head.

“If you’re listening for the ship, they’re gone. For now.”

“Why did you stop me?”

Riddick sighed. “They were mercs. They would’ve killed us the moment they spotted us.”

“We could’ve killed _them_ and taken their ship,” Khan said, his voice almost rising to a growl.

“Is that so? Can you bring a ship down with a spear?” Riddick reasoned calmly. “Because they would never have landed,” his voice started to rise. “They would’ve shot us full of holes from the air and we would’ve been sitting ducks out in the open!” Riddick’s last words rose to an angry roar.

Khan backed down and raised his hands, palms out. “I see. I hadn’t considered that.”

“No! Because you rush in, eager to die, just like her!”

Khan lowered his hands and frowned. “Her?”

Fuck, Riddick thought, trying to control his anger. “They might be back,” he said through clenched teeth. “We should get back to the cave, we’re too exposed here.”

“It’s daylight, outside,” Khan said gently. He took a step forward and hesitated when Riddick tensed. “I don’t hear them anymore and I can hear a heartbeat from ten meters away.” He continued in a soothing voice. “Maybe we can wait here until nightfall.” 

Riddick watched as Khan again began to approach him. He remained still and alert, not trusting that the augment wasn’t up to something. When Khan stopped just a breath away and raised a hand slowly to his face, it was all Riddick could do to not growl, but then Khan’s hand rested softly on the side of his face and stroked his beard.

The augment looked at him with unguarded eyes. “I _am_ sorry, Riddick. You were trying to protect me and I attacked you. This is new to me. The only people who ever cared about me were my crew.” 

Riddick felt his resolve melting away. What was this man doing to him? He folded Khan’s hand in his own and kissed his palm. “It’s new for me as well, beastie, whatever this is. I get it, we barely know each other and yet...”

Khan smiled, it seemed a self-mocking smile. “I also never met anyone who could beat me in a fair fight.”

Riddick chuckled. “That _was_ a good fight.”

Khan grew serious. “You have my word, Riddick. I will never raise a hand to you again.”

Riddick grinned. “I can’t promise the same. You might need a good spanking now and then.” 

Khan stared at him slit-eyed for a moment and then laughed. Dimples, the man had dimples. It was the first time Riddick heard Khan laughing and he found the sound very appealing. He wanted to kiss him but he didn’t want that sound to stop, then Khan kissed him. Just like that, the tension between them faded away.

“Come on, big guy. I did promise to keep you warm,” Khan purred and pulled him into the back room.


	9. Beacon

Khan paused at the door. He could barely see a thing inside, just vague shadows that could trick even his augment eyes. “I might need that flare a while longer,” he told Riddick over his shoulder.

“No, you won’t,” Riddick said and lifted him in his arms. 

It felt weird to Khan, another new experience he wasn’t sure how he felt about, but he remained silent. Riddick stepped into the room confidently and, guessing from his movements, avoided all obstacles with ease.

“Just how well do you see in pitch black?” Khan asked him, as he felt himself being gently lowered onto a pile of blankets.

“Why tell you, when I can show you?” Riddick replied, his voice seductive, his breath on Khan’s lips, close enough to kiss. 

Khan leaned forward until their lips met. He pressed a chaste kiss onto Riddick’s closed mouth but as he pulled back, Riddick followed, demanding more. Riddick took hold of his lips roughly, running the tip of his tongue over them and Khan let him in. Khan had never understood the appeal of kissing like this. It had always seemed messy to him, but Riddick’s tongue now tangling with his own, exploring his mouth, the tingles of pleasure running up and down his spine put any misconceptions he had to rest.

Riddick broke the kiss, and they both took a few quick breaths. “I don’t have any oil with me.” 

Khan huffed a laugh, amused by Riddick’s concern. “I told you before. You can’t hurt me that way. Even if you did, I’ll heal soon enough.”

“It’ll hurt.”

Khan reached out and grabbed hold of Riddick’s coat, he pulled him closer gently. “I like the pain,” he murmured and tilted his head back. Riddick took the hint and kissed him, Khan’s hands went searching for the straps of Riddick’s coat, resisting the urge to just tear them off.

Riddick suddenly pulled back and out of Khan’s grip, he could hear him shuffling and soon after the sound of clothes being tossed aside and Khan wished he could see in the dark. He stiffened instinctively and relaxed immediately when Riddick’s hands attacked his clothes next. Riddick practically pulled him in the air when the time came to take his pants off.

“Turn around. On your hands and knees,” Riddick ordered, his voice gruff, and Khan felt as if electricity shot down his spine to his crotch, making his cock stir to life. He still hesitated, already feeling at a disadvantage in the dark with cat-eyed Riddick, the warrior inside him resisting the idea of playing submissive, again. He felt Riddick’s hand stroking his left cheekbone before their lips touched for a brief kiss. “Hands and knees,” Riddick repeated, more gently. 

Khan obeyed, his limbs shaking with the effort. He felt like a thing on display, with his ass in the air, questioning just how well could Riddick see in the dark? Why wasn’t he doing anything? He tried to turn his head and look questioningly at the man, but all he could see was a darker shape in the darkness, that might be just his imagination.

“Riddick?”

“Shhh, I want to remember this,” came the voice from the darkness. “You are perfect.”

Khan was at his limit when he finally felt Riddick’s hands slide from his ass to his hips, pulling him slightly back, then down to his legs to pull them further apart, positioning him just so. Khan’s face felt hot and he hung his head between his shoulders, trying to breathe evenly. His mind screamed at him to resist, this isn’t right, I’m not submissive, I’m- then Riddick slapped his ass, hard. Khan jumped, his head shot up, and he tried to lurch forward but Riddick’s hands were holding his hips firmly in place.

“Easy,” Riddick said, sounding amused, and his hand slid down to rub over the stinging ass-cheek. 

The pain faded faster than the shock and Khan found himself rock-hard, confused, and desperate for more. There was something exciting about feeling this vulnerable, and this time, he pushed towards Riddick, offering. Riddick didn’t mock him as he had expected, instead, he rubbed his other cheek briefly before delivering an even harder slap. Khan moaned and lowered himself on his elbows, really putting his ass up on display and in Riddick’s mercy. He couldn’t explain what he was feeling at that moment or cared to, and even the voice in his head was urging for more… more, more! “More,” he moaned. 

Riddick indulged him until Khan’s ass felt like it was on fire and he was clawing the blankets beneath him, gasping and moaning. Riddick stopped, rubbed his ass for a moment before his hand reached between Khan’s legs and squeezed his balls, just hard enough to make Khan still and hold his breath. It was the only thing that kept Khan from jumping again when he felt Riddick’s lips and tongue soothing the burning flesh of his buttocks. He had no time to process this new sensation before Riddick let go of his balls, used both hands to spread his ass cheeks open, and licked slowly from his sensitive perineum towards his center.

Khan’s whole body shuddered. “No,” he moaned, feeling breathless and dizzy. 

“No?” Riddick asked, the pause too short before the tip of his tongue swirled around Khan’s entrance, sliding further and further towards the center until, finally, pressing in.

Khan’s eyes rolled back, his body pushed towards the intrusion of its own accord and he couldn’t stop the moan originating from the base of his throat. When Riddick’s tongue pushed past his outer ring, Khan gave up trying to control his actions. He whimpered, moaned, pushed back, clawed and bit into the blankets as that hot wetness explored his insides as far as it could reach. 

Just as Khan thought he could take it no more, Riddick stopped and pulled away. A sharp smack fell on Khan’s left cheek. “What do you want?” Riddick growled.

Khan panted his mind unable to put meaning into the words. “W-What?” 

Riddick’s hands squeezed hard on his ass. “Tell me what you want.” 

“You!” Khan blurted in a panic, his mind felt shattered, his chest tight, the darkness pressing all around him. “I want you…” he breathed. 

The silence and stillness which followed felt like an eternity to Khan and for the first time in his life, he tasted the fear of rejection.

“And I want you, beastie,” Riddick said soothingly and Khan felt something pressing against his entrance firmly. “All of you.” 

Khan felt the pressure grow, slowly stretching him, too slow. He pushed back with an impatient growl and got past the tip before Riddick halted him.

“You really do like the pain, don’t you?” Riddick didn’t wait for an answer. He rammed the rest of the way into Khan’s tight ass, bottoming out, and their moans intertwined. They held still for a moment. Khan lost in the feeling of searing pain mixed with pleasure, of someone filling him up, owning him. He nearly whimpered when the pain started to fade away, his body already adjusting, and he pushed back roughly. Riddick growled in response and took hold of his hips, digging his fingers in. Khan’s body clenched tighter around Riddick’s shaft in anticipation, his own erection pulsing with the need to be touched. 

“Fuck,” Riddick groaned, “So fucking tight.” He pulled back out so far that Khan thought he was going to stop and then he thrust back in, harder than before.

“Fuck yes!” Khan cried out as the pain returned followed closely by pleasure. “More… like that…” he hissed. 

It was more prompting than Riddick required. He pulled out and thrust back in, pulling at Khan’s hips at the same time, doubling his speed and roughness, over and over, their skins slapping together audibly in the pitch darkness. Riddick leaned over Khan’s body, holding himself up with one arm, the other wrapping around Khan’s chest. Khan didn’t think it was possible but the man’s thrusts increased in speed and ferocity, setting fire to Khan’s insides and, with the change of angle, spears of pure pleasure. 

The intensity of the stretch, the burning, the feeling of that large cock pumping inside him, hitting the right spot over and over and Riddick’s hot breath against his back sent Khan over the edge without him even needing to be touched. He let out a prolonged moan as his body shuddered, swept by the intensity of his orgasm. He felt his ass clench and pulse around Riddick’s cock as his own cock spilled the last of his seed with a final twitch of his hips.

Riddick kept fucking him with the same intensity and with his mind now clearing, Khan seized the moment to enjoy the sensation of it and the growling noises the man was making as he worked his way to his own orgasm. Khan smiled contently and began to moan encouragement, Riddick thrust his hardest yet and held, balls deep in Khan’s ass, and Khan felt it - A warmth deep inside him as Riddick made rough, short thrusts, again and again, growling like an animal and biting the back of his neck. When the shudders of his orgasm subsided he collapsed heavily over Khan’s body.

They lay like that in silence, catching their breath. When Khan shivered as he felt Riddick’s softening cock fall out of him and Riddick stirred. 

“Are you alright?”

Khan laughed softly. “This again?”

Riddick kissed halfway down his spine, then rolled off him. “Come here,” he said as he settled next to him.

Khan reached towards the big man’s voice and felt for his chest. he pulled himself closer and laid his head on it, listening to the strong heartbeat. 

Riddick reached one arm around him and pulled him tighter against his body. “You drive me insane. You bring my wild side to the surface. So, once I regain my sanity, I’m allowed to ask if you are unharmed.” 

Khan traced circles on the muscular chest with his fingernail. Riddick’s concern both amused and touched him, the latter an unfamiliar feeling. He contemplated his answer. “If I was a normal human, I’m sure I would be paying for it now, but I’m not. I barely feel sore now. I wish it lasted longer.” Riddick was silent, so Khan went on. “If it ever gets too much, I’ll let you know. Alright?”

Riddick hummed and started stroking Khan’s side. This was becoming a ritual that Khan was beginning to enjoy almost as much as the sex. “Next time though,” Riddick began, “I want to show you that gentle can be just as mind-blowing. We’ll take our time.”

“I’ll look forward to that,” Khan said, wrapping his arm around Riddick’s chest and closing his eyes.

He felt Riddick shift a bit and then a blanket settle over them. “You weren’t kidding about keeping me warm. You’re like a little furnace.”

Khan chuckled and yawned. He felt warm, satisfied and… safe. The silence, Riddick’s heartbeat, and hand petting him were beginning to lull him to sleep when Riddick spoke again.

“Do you really want to get off this planet?”

Khan blinked, pulling himself away from sleep with some difficulty. “I want to know what happened to my people. I owe them that much. It’s hard for me... not knowing.” 

Riddick’s hand slowed to a stop and he was silent for so long that Khan thought he had fallen asleep.

“There might be a way.”

Khan rose to his elbow wishing he could see Riddick’s face in the dark. For a moment he saw pinpoints of light where his eyes were. “What do you mean?” 

“Remember when I told you a friend dropped me off here? Well, he gave me a subspace beacon.”

Khan barely stopped himself from jumping to his feet. Riddick fell silent again and Khan knew he probably felt his muscles tense, so he tried to relax and think. “Would it be safe to use, with the mercs so close by?” 

Riddick’s hand started roaming his back and Khan knew he had reacted the right way. “Probably not. We’d have our hands full and I don’t know how far Vaako is by now, or if he’ll even come.” He pulled Khan closer and he felt Riddick’s lips touching his in a chaste kiss. “Worst case scenario, we steal a merc ship.” 

Khan more felt than saw Riddick’s lips curl into a grin, and he grinned back, knowing Riddick could see his. “Thank you.” 

***

“Lord Marshal.”

Vaako looked up from the map a little annoyed at the interruption. “Speak.”

“We have captured a small vessel, My Lord. It appeared unexpectedly and nearly collided with one of our scout ships.”

Vaako frowned. “Unexpectedly? Any survivors?” 

“We can’t explain it. It seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, My Lord. Both pilots were captured alive, they didn’t offer any resistance.” 

Vaako opened his mouth to respond when another voice hailed him.

“Lord Marshal!”

Vaako rolled his eyes. “What?”

“My Lord, that beacon you told us to keep an eye out for, it has been activated.”

He looked at each soldier in turn. “Turn us around and set a heading for the Qualar system. You, tell them to bring that vessel into the Basilica’s hangar. I will deal with the pilots momentarily. Have them brought to my ready room.”

“Yes, Lord Marshal,” the soldiers said in unison and took off to follow his orders.

He looked back to the map, not really seeing it. Riddick had activated the beacon, what did _that_ mean? And could the man _smell_ that they were close? He sighed and walked out of the room and into the long corridor leading to the Necropolis. They were still a few days away from Riddick’s location, now he had to deal with these two ‘guests’ they found in the middle of nowhere.

“Is it true then?”

Vaako tensed at the sound of his wife’s demanding voice. “Is what true, _Lady Vaako_?” he said, adding emphasis to her new title in hopes of reminding her of her place. As per usual she ignored it and took hold of his arm as she fell into step with him. More like glided really, his wife was many things, modest was not one of those things. Her hips swayed seductively with each step, making the snake-pattern of her dress seem like a living thing. Her sharp nails dug into his arm as she leaned closer to speak.

“That the Breeder crooked his little finger and you turned the whole armada around to heel, _Lord Marshal_.”

“I don’t heel,” Vaako growled lowly, glancing at his guards. “It’s a matter of honor, not that you’d understand that.”

“And what if the Breeder wants his throne back? What does honor demand then?”

“He won’t.” Vaako lengthened his stride, forcing her to relinquish some of her fluid grace to keep up with him. He turned them towards the double doors of his ready room and froze, disbelieving at what he saw, when they automatically opened. He heard Lady Vaako take a breath to speak but instead she froze too. The two men inside the ready room hadn’t noticed them yet.

“Damn it, Jim! I told you a thousand times. I’m a doctor not a…” The man’s eyes widened as he turned to face his friend and saw them. He pointed a shaky finger at Vaako. “Jim?” he said, his voice just a bit too high. 

The other man, presumably Jim, turned to see what his friend was pointing at and his jaw dropped open.

“Jim?”

“I see him.”

“Jim!”

“I see him!”

Vaako stared at the man, who was nearly his mirror image, mesmerized. How was this possible? The two men looked as blindsided as he felt, staring back at him with disbelief.

They all nearly jumped out of their skins when Lady Vaako’s laughter shattered the silence.


	10. Mirror Mirror

Vaako just about shoved Lady Vaako off his arm, cutting her mirth short, as he stormed into the room and advanced on the man who wore his face.

“What trickery is this?” he roared. 

The pretty blonde scurried to place himself between Vaako and his intended prey. “Wait!” he pleaded, holding out his arms. 

Vaako grabbed one of those arms, twisted and threw the man out of his way, he landed with a pained grunt on the floor and Vaako kept advancing. His doppelganger, now backing away and cursing under his breath, held an arm out - palm facing Vaako as if that would somehow stop him. 

Vaako slapped the hand away and grabbed the man by the throat, lifting him up to the tips of his toes. “Why do you have my face?” he snarled, pulling him so close their noses nearly touched. 

“twss mah ce irs.”

Vaako pushed him back and loosened his grip a bit. “What?”

“It was my face first!” the man hissed, his hands clawing at Vaako’s arm, his eyes fearlessly glaring at him. 

Unlike Vaako’s eyes, this man’s eyes were bright green, made even brighter by his sunburned, breeder skin, which was now flushed from his efforts to release Vaako’s hold from around his throat.

“Stop! Let us explain!” the blonde called from behind Vaako.

Vaako rounded on him, dragging his doppelganger full circle with him. “Then speak!”

The blonde rose carefully to his feet, holding his arms out, this time as an appeasing gesture. His blue eyes searched Vaako’s. “Let my friend go first.”

Vaako’s eyes narrowed in anger just as he squeezed the other’s throat tighter. His doppelganger started to choke and flail desperately.

“Okay! Okay!” the blonde hurried on. “We don’t know why you and Bones look alike, we’re just as surprised as you are! I swear to you, this isn’t a trick, we don’t even know who you might be!”

“Why are you here?” Vaako hissed through clenched teeth.

The blonde hesitated. “Your men brought us here?”

Vaako’s grip tightened even more and the flailing turned into panicked attempts to fight back. He ignored the feeble blows and kept his eyes fixed on the blonde. “You dare mock me?”

“No!” the blonde exclaimed, glancing quickly at his friend and back. “Of course not. We came here looking for someone from our time, we-“

“Your time?”

The man looked like he was about to bite his own tongue. “It’ll take a while to explain. Please, please let my friend go and we’ll try to explain everything to you.”

“Perhaps we should listen, Husband,” Vaako’s wife purred from over his left shoulder. He never saw her approach, he’d been too distracted, Vaako hated to be caught unawares. She placed a hand gently on his shoulder. “These breeders seem…” She watched her husband’s mirror image, now turning blue, “interesting, and their story might be more so.” 

Vaako considered her words for a moment, if he killed them now he’d never learn what sort of conspiracy this was, or who was behind it. He unceremoniously opened his hand, letting his doppelganger fall to the ground in a heap. The man coughed uncontrollably and rubbed his throat. Vaako backed away, throwing a murderous glare at Lady Vaako, as the blonde dashed to the floor to comfort his friend. 

“Start talking,” he ordered.

The blonde looked up at him, his blue eyes darting all over Vaako’s face. “My name is James Tiberius Kirk, Captain of the Starfleet vessel USS Enterprise. We are representatives of the United Federation of Planets. This is my Chief Medical Officer, Doctor Leonard McCoy.”

Vaako raised an eyebrow, that was a mouthful which meant nothing to him, but it was Lady Vaako who spoke. “You are in the presence of Lord Marshal Vaako, holy ruler of the Necromongers.”

His doppelganger looked up at him then, the frown on his face too familiar for Vaako’s comfort. “You mentioned something about ‘your time’” Vaako pressed. 

The two men glanced at each other and Vaako could sense that they spoke volumes even though their lips never moved. 

“Do not attempt to lie.” Lady Vaako warned with a snake-like hiss and for a moment Vaako was glad she was there. “We have ways of extracting the truth. Ways you might not survive.” 

James glanced at his friend again, who shook his head no, and then back at Vaako. “We traveled here from the past, about three-hundred years from the past.” He blurted and Vaako’s doppelganger hung his head, groaning.

“You expect me to believe that?” Vaako asked. “Who sent you? What was the plan? Assassinate me and replace me with this… breeder?”

“Breeder?” his doppelganger exclaimed, “what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Scan the area where you found us,” the blonde said, ignoring his friend’s protest. “I’m sure you’ll find traces of the temporal vortex that brought us here. If you have the necessary technology you’ll be able to see I’m telling the truth for yourself.”

Vaako turned to look at his wife, with a nod she glided out of the room. Vaako took note of the way the blonde was watching his wife’s provocative exit. Breeders… 

“If you’re telling the truth, Captain James Tiberius Kirk, we’ll discuss further. If not…” He signaled his guards over. “Throw them in the brig, for now. I want at least four guards on duty outside, at all times.” With a last, long look at his doppelganger, he strode out of the room to see what his wife had come up with, but only after he paid a short visit to the hangar. 

***

“Easy!” Bones snapped as the guards roughly pushed them into a small, dark cell. The door closed behind them with a loud bang.

“What the devil’s going on here, Jim?” 

“I wish I knew, Bones.”

“This was supposed to be a simple mission! Get in, retrieve the shuttle, and get out. Instead, we ended up who knows where, no shuttle, and _now_ prisoners of my _evil twin_!”  


Jim watched as Bones started pacing the room, all three meters of it. “Yeah, that wasn’t the plan…” The last thing they had ever expected to find was someone who looked like Bones. Different, oh so very different, but also the same.

“And that haircut!” Bones threw his hands in the air.

Jim grinned. “I think it suits you. It goes well with your cranky attitude.”

Bones glared at him. “Not funny, Jim!” He hesitated and made a face. “Did he have eye-shadow on?”

Jim giggled, he couldn’t stop himself upon seeing his friend’s incredulous face.

“This really isn’t funny, Jim! They want to kill us!”

“Bones, relax. We’ve been through worse.”

“Name one!”

“Um, Nero… Khan… Krall.”

“I said one, you crazy bastard,” Bones complained but he did grin at his friend. “Besides, we don’t know how bad this one will go… yet.”

“I don’t know, Bones. I think we surprised them as much as they surprised us. Once the dust settles a bit we’ll figure something out.”

“I bloody hope so. He didn’t like that we look alike, at all. Not that it’s a walk in the park for me either, mind you!”

“But that wife of his,” Kirk quipped, “Am I right?”

“Are you out of your corn-fed mind?” He pointed a finger in Jim’s face. “You keep your hands off my evil twin’s wife, Jim, do you hear me?”

“Yes, yes, I was only kidding, Bones,” Jim said, slapping Bones’ shoulder. He looked around the small room. “Well, they obviously don’t believe in the humane treatment for prisoners.” Their room was just that, a room, with no furniture whatsoever.

“That’s just great,” Bones grumbled. “They might execute us and didn’t even give us the comfort of a bed. Do you think they have the other shuttle too?”

“I suppose it’s possible, though I don’t think so.”

“You told them we’re from the past. Do you realize what damage that could cause to-“

“The future?” Jim cut him off. “This is the future Bones, I don’t see what damage knowing we’re from the past could do.”

“They could decide to try and go back to the past themselves.”

Jim felt a moment of panic, would they? “Not unless they know when and where to be when Spock reopens the temporal vortex.”

“They said they have ways to make us tell them. We have to be smart here, Jim.”

“Careful, Bones, you’re starting to sound a bit like Spock.”

“If you’re going to insult me, I’m leaving.” Bones joked, as Jim knew he would. Any mention of Spock and the doctor had to take a jab at him, even if the Vulcan wasn’t there to hear it. “If I were honest though,” Bones went on, “I’m wishing that green-blooded gobbling was here right now.”

Jim sighed. “Me too, though I don’t see how Vulcan logic would get us out of this.” 

“He looks just like me, Jim,” Bones said, obviously his mind circling back to that other man, “but without my charming personality, of course.” 

***

Lady Vaako turned as Vaako entered the control room. She glanced at the two Lensors and their handlers before she approached him and pulled him to the side. 

“It seems like the breeders were telling the truth,” she whispered. “We found traces of a temporal anomaly. The scans suggest it was artificial.”

“Artificial?” Vaako said, more than a bit surprised. “How is that possible? Who possesses that kind of technology?”

“That’s what we need to find out.”

“I stopped by the hangar on my way here,” Vaako said, lowering his voice for her ears only. “Their vessel is small but the technology seems beyond what the breeders of this time have.”

“So are they from the past or the future?”

“I don’t know. There have always been rumors that the breeders used to be more advanced, but something happened. Have a team search every record from every world we’ve converted and everything else we have available. Tell them to look for anything that even mentions a United Federation of Planets, Starfleet, Captain James Tiberius Kirk, Doctor Leonard McCoy, and USS Enterprise. I don’t care if it sounds farfetched, mythological, or fanciful stories told by fools, Lady Vaako, I want to read it all.” 

“As you wish, husband, but it will take time… why not just mind regress them?” 

“If they are indeed from the past, we don’t know what repercussions that might have on us. Mind regression could inoperably damage their minds.”

“You’re worried because that breeder looks like you. You don’t think that…”

He looked into his wife’s cold eyes. “It’s not a risk I’m willing to take, and unless you’re tired of your new title already, I suggest you don’t either.” 

She squared her shoulders and inclined her head. “Of course, I am as always, faithful to my husband and Lord.”

Vaako tried to keep the contempt from showing on his face. “That breeder, James, seemed susceptible to your charms. See what other information you can get out of them.”

“As you command, Lord Marshal, but I’ll need to move them out of the cell.” He stared at her and she went on. “Breeders drop their guard when they are treated… _kindly_ ,” the word seemed to leave a bitter taste on her tongue. “I don’t see why these ones should be any different.”

“Then treat them like royalty,” Vaako growled, turned and walked away as she bowed to him. He wondered how far he could trust the snake at his side before it bit him. He could only hope it would be long enough for him to have a chance to see the Underverse first.

***

Khan woke up with a gasp and grabbed at his leg. A cramp? He didn’t get cramps. He pushed the furs off him and looked around the cave. 

“Riddick?” 

He got up and walked a few steps. The pain was already gone but an uneasy feeling kept hold of him. His heart was hammering inside his chest, he was on full alert, and he had this urge to… fight. He hurried to the entrance and pulled the slit open.

“Riddick!”

He walked back inside and started putting on his furs. He felt anxious, angry, he needed to go, now! He grabbed his spear and burst outside, only to stand looking out over the ice, confused. Go where? He growled and leaned on his spear, trying to put his mind in order and make sense of this sudden restlessness. Then he felt it, a tug, a burst of anger followed by a sense of danger and he suddenly knew which direction to go. He took off, full speed.

***

Riddick screamed and forced the steel-jawed leghold-trap open, carefully pulling his leg out. He barely managed it before his hands slipped and the jaws snapped shut again. He wrapped his hands around the wound to slow the flow of blood and was grateful that the bone, at least, seemed intact.

“I’ll be damned,” an unfamiliar voice said from somewhere on his right. “I think that’s that bastard, Riddick!” 

Riddick growled and turned his head. The man had a gun pointed at him, a fur-trimmed hood hid most of his face, but Riddick didn’t need to see a face to know a merc when he saw one. 

“No way. The Necromongers killed that good-for-nothing, SOB,” another man said, this time from his left.

“I’m telling you, it’s him. Look at those eyes!”

“Let’s see those pretty peepers then.” The man on the left said and Riddick heard the distinct click of a gun arming. He could handle two mercs, even wounded, if he was careful enough.

“Not even gonna buy me dinner first?” He mocked turning to face the man on his left, only it was not just one man, there were four more behind him.

“Hooooly shit! It is him!”

“What’s the bounty on him these days?” the one on the right asked.

“Who knows,” one of the four said. He approached and stood next to the second man. “Everyone thinks he’s dead, but if we take him alive I bet they’d pay us anything not set him loose again!”

They all laughed and Riddick chuckled with them, then pulled out one of his boot’s straps.

“Hey! Don’t move!” Righty squealed.

“If you want me alive,” Riddick said, calmer than he felt. “Then you don’t want me bleeding to death.” He tied the strap just above the wound. If he lost his leg because of these bastards he’d be very pissed. He heard their feet shuffling nervously and grinned. Skittish, so skittish.

“I say we kill him now,” Righty whined and moved in front of Riddick, keeping a safe distance. He lifted the gun, aiming at Riddick’s head.

“Wait!” one of the others snapped. “Not the head, you idiot! We need him identifiable.” 

“Right.” 

The gun lowered to aim at his heart. _This isn’t going to end well_ , Riddick thought _but not just for me_. His throwing knives were in easy reach and he’d be damned if he didn’t take at least a couple of these vultures with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I got their voices right in this part. I might've rushed this a bit because I'll be too busy to write the rest of the week. My apologies for any and all mistakes!
> 
> Also a big thank you to everyone that left me kudos! They are very appreciated :D


	11. Chapter 11

The spear came out of nowhere. One moment the merc had his gun aimed at Riddick’s heart, the next he had a spear piercing him through and through, in just below his left armpit and out his right side. Riddick tilted his head and his eyes met the merc’s who was still attempting to aim, not yet realizing he was dead. The gun lowered and the man fell, his eyes open, questioning, and lifeless. 

Riddick turned his head to the left. The mercs gaped at their fallen comrade and then at him with wide, terrified eyes.

Riddick shrugged. “Wasn’t me.” He said casually and threw his knives into the throats of the two closest. Then Khan was among them. He broke one man’s neck like a twig and grabbed the guns right out of the other two mercs hands as they tried to turn them on him. He casually tossed the guns away. There was a pause as the two remaining men, now unarmed, faced the augment. Khan stared at them, his eyes colder than the ice surrounding them, his arms relaxed at his sides. 

With a cry, one of the men threw a desperate punch. Khan easily caught the man’s fist in his palm and twisted it upwards. Riddick heard bones crunching and the man started screaming, slowly kneeling from the pain. Khan’s eyes shifted to the other man, who began to back away and tightened his grip on the first man’s hand, crushing it even more until the man laid down whimpering. Khan let go of the mangled hand and, still not taking his eyes off the retreating man, he brought his foot down on the first man’s head. 

The skull caved in with a sickening sound, which made even Riddick flinch. The merc yelped in fear and turned to flee but he was too slow. Khan leaped the distance between them easily and grabbed the man’s throat and jaw. He twisted his body so they were back to back and kneeled, forcing the man to bend backward until the back of his neck was over Khan’s shoulder. With a sudden jerk downwards Khan broke the man’s neck and let him drop to the ground.

Khan stood slowly and turned to face Riddick, his expression still cold. “You are hurt,” he said with no emotion.

“I’ve had worse,” Riddick said carefully, eyeing the augment. “Are you with me, Khan?” 

Khan blinked and his face softened. He approached Riddick and kneeled in front of him. “Let me see,” he said reaching slowly for Riddick’s leg. His voice was now gentle, even a little shaky. He pulled the torn fabric of Riddick’s pants away and looked at the wound, which was still oozing a fair amount of blood. His lips pressed together into a thin line and his eyebrows drew together into the familiar frown. 

“You’re pissed,” Riddick observed. 

“Why didn’t you bring me with you?” Khan asked with barely controlled anger. 

“You were sleeping and-“

“Then you wake me!” 

Riddick was taken aback at first, then he noticed how Khan’s arms and shoulders were shaking slightly, how his lips were again pressed together, and he grinned. “You were worried for me.”

“Right now I’m seriously considering killing you myself,” Khan growled and reached under his leathers to rip a large strip of cloth from his shirt. 

“If you were ever going to,” Riddick began and grunted in pain as Khan started to tightly wrap his wound. “Now’s the time.”

“Why are you out here? Were you hunting?”

“No, I wanted to check on the beacon, I saw their ship on the way back and tried to lead them away from the cave but…” he pointed at the trap. “They must’ve been on the planet longer than I thought. I was careless.”

“Stupid, dense, irresponsible.”

“Love you too.”

Khan glanced up at him and then quickly back down to the wound. “You… saw their ship. Where?”

A gush of warm wind buffeted them then and as if summoned the ship rose from behind the massive ice-shards opposite Riddick.

 _Stealth ship_ , Riddick though, _should’ve known._ “Khan…”

Without turning around to look, Khan grabbed him by his coat, forcibly lifted him, and dove them both out of the way just as the ship started firing. 

“Get up!” Khan yelled before they even hit the ground, snow and shards of ice showered over them. “Up!”

The ship was now firing blind, its view obscured by the snow cloud which resulted from its first attack, but it was rapidly getting closer. Khan was lifting him again and this time Riddick grabbed hold of a wiry shoulder and they both propelled themselves clear of the blasts. They quickly crawled behind a large outcrop, Khan already wildly looking around them for an escape. 

“Wait here!” he called over his shoulder and dashed off, back the way they came. 

Riddick had no time to react, his leg failing him when he tried to go after him. He pulled himself at the edge of his cover and peeked around it. The ship was still facing and firing at the area they had been, not yet realizing that all they were firing at was snow, and Khan… he was right underneath the ship. He had a gun in each hand and was looking up as if he was studying the ship for a moment, then he opened fire with both guns.

The engine sputtered, the ship slanted sideways and started to spin. Black smoke came out of the engine’s exhaust systems and it was leaking fuel. Khan turned and hauled ass back to where Riddick was.

“Take cover!” He called as he came to a skidding stop, sliding just beyond where Riddick was.

Riddick grabbed him and pulled him in and under him just as the explosion shook everything. Once again ice shards showered them and pieces of metal flew overhead at dangerous speeds. Riddick pulled them further behind the rocks and covered Khan’s body as best he could with his own, ignoring his attempts to get up. “Lay still, will you!” he shouted, pinning him down.

The silence which followed was so potent that Riddick wondered if his ears had been damaged, then Khan squirmed beneath him. 

“Will you get off me now?” Khan snapped.

Riddick lifted himself halfway off Khan’s body and looked down at him. “Are you alright?”

Khan huffed. “You’re the one who’s hurt! You better not be injured further now or I’m leaving you here, you stubborn-”

Riddick kissed him. At first, it seemed as if Khan would resist but then he relaxed into the kiss and pulled Riddick down over him again.

“We should get you back to the cave,” Khan said when they broke apart for air. “Need to take care of that wound.”

“As Your Imperial Majesty commands.” 

Khan grinned and Riddick kissed him again, grinding slightly against him. Khan pushed him back and glared. “You can’t be serious. Get off me or I’ll knock you out and drag you to the cave.” 

Riddick chuckled and rolled off, he grunted as pain shot up his leg, reminding him that he was indeed wounded. Khan stood and offered him a hand, carefully helping him up and offering his shoulders for support.

Riddick looked over at the remains of the ship. “Well, we’re not taking that out of here.”

Khan shrugged. “All that matters now is making sure you survive. Come on, big guy, let’s go.”

Riddick turned his head to hide a smile and put more of his weight on Khan’s shoulders. “Yeah, let’s go.”

***

Back in the cave, Khan removed Riddick’s ruined pants and looked carefully at the wound. It didn’t look good, the teeth of the trap bit right through the flesh and into the muscles. It was a miracle the bone wasn’t broken, though Khan imagined it might have some hairline fractures at least. It would have taken a lesser man’s leg right off. “Do you have a medical kit?”

“In the storing container, next to the bed. Clean linen too,” Riddick replied. He sounded pained and exhausted.

“Don’t fall asleep. You lost a lot of blood,” Khan warned as he walked to the container and opened it. The box was a treasure trove, not the miraculous medical equipment Starfleet introduced him to, but medical tools similar to those from his original time. Things he could use with reasonable skill. “You are well prepared,” he told Riddick, more to keep the man talking and awake than pointing out the obvious.

“I sometimes learn from experience,” Riddick said, a small grin playing on his lips.

Khan nodded and rummaged through the contents for what he would need. “Is this dissolving thread? I’ll need to suture the muscle first.”

“It is.”

Khan wasn’t sure that Riddick not questioning his medical abilities was a sign of trust or just that the man was beyond caring. He gathered what he needed and approached Riddick. “This is going to hurt, should I restrain you?”

“No, I can handle a bit of pain.”

A feeling of guilt came over Khan. Riddick was in this condition because he activated that beacon, for him. He disinfected his hands and rechecked the wound to determine where to begin. To his credit, Riddick didn’t even twitch when he started poking at it. 

“Why so glum, beastie?” Riddick asked once Khan stopped checking the wound to sterilize the equipment. 

“The wound is deep, I can see the bone,” Khan said, not looking up from his work. _This is my fault_ , he thought. 

“It’s not your fault.”

Khan frowned, could he read his mind now? He turned to answer and saw Riddick had passed out. “Riddick?” He leaned in and checked his pulse, weakened but still steady. At least this made his work easier, and what he planned to do unarguable, he just had to hope Riddick’s body was strong enough to ride it out. He pulled out his knife and cut his palm, letting his blood drip into the open wound. He wasn’t sure how well this would work if at all, he didn’t have the tools to inject it directly into Riddick’s bloodstream, but it was worth a try. He sutured the muscle and reopened the wound on his palm to repeat the process before stitching the skin as well, once done he applied disinfectant and wrapped the wound with the clean linen. All that was left was to clean up and wait. 

***

Leonard couldn’t stop gaping as the guards led them down a long corridor, lined with large arches, each framing a statue in various poses of suffering. Jim, walking just a step in the lead, was also uncharacteristically quiet. The place felt like a tomb, Leonard couldn’t help feeling that they were walking through a mausoleum and he wondered if he was too close to the truth of it. These people did call themselves Necromongers. Were there corpses behind each wall? He suppressed a shiver.

Jim came to an abrupt stop and Leonard collided with his solid back. “What?” he began and then he saw it. They were at the very edge of the corridor and a massive hall opened just beyond. Two enormous statues seemed to stare at them from the other side. They were kneeling, supporting the roof on their massive shoulders, and the one on the left was reaching a hand as if to grab the insignificantly small figures walking about. Like the rest of the statues, their features were twisted with agony.

“Amazing,” Jim breathed.

“Ominous. Dark. Dangerous.” Leonard said, not looking forward to going anywhere these people were taking them.

“Keep moving,” one of the guards at their back snapped and poked Leonard with his weapon to make his point. 

As they moved further in, Leonard managed to pull his eyes off the statues to study more of the hall. There was an upper level, like an amphitheater, and Necromongers stood idly underneath the arches, some watching them intently as they were led past them, correction watching _him_ , while others had their eyes fixed across the hall. Leonard followed their gazes and saw a throne, framed by twin winding staircases. It sat just below the two massive statues.

“Bones,” Jim whispered, falling back a step so they were walking side by side. “Look to your right.”

Leonard looked and felt a stab a fear. There were people, men and women, suspended in a row by their arms and shoulders and had what seemed like large spikes piercing their necks. Their expressions were blank, their eyes dull. 

“What are they doing to them? Jim, we have to help them!”

“They are converts, receiving the mark of the Necromonger,” a clear female voice stated, and Leonard turned to see none other than his evil twin’s wife. With a nonchalant wave of her hand, their guards melted away, leaving them standing unguarded as the woman approached them. 

Leonard glanced at Jim and saw him looking as nervous as he felt. The woman was stunning, she wore only a black corset that left little to the imagination and a nearly transparent back skirt, showing off her very, very long legs, but despite her beauty, or perhaps because of it, she seemed dangerous, very dangerous. 

“In your pants, Jim,” Leonard hissed quietly.

“I’m not stupid, Bones,” Jim hissed back.

“No, but you do have a severe condition of too much blood flow to your groin, known to impact your thinking.”

Jim just threw a glare his way as the woman was now too close for a verbal reply. She stopped, cocked her hip and rested a delicate hand on it, an amused smile played on her lips and Leonard suspected she had heard everything they’d said. He cleared his throat. “Lady Vaako, wasn’t it? Well, what you’re doing to them seems very painful and cruel. It’s barbaric.”

She shrugged, “We all go through it,” she said turning her head to show the marks on her neck. “We learn how one pain can lessen another. It is the Necromonger way. These children will soon join our ranks and earn their place in the Underverse.” Suddenly she walked right up to him and captured his face in her hands. “You look just like my husband,” she said, searching his face carefully. “Except for the flush of life, of course. I wonder, were his eyes as green as yours, once?”

“I wouldn’t know, ma’am, please let go of my face.” 

She smiled and let him go, turning towards Jim. “You are the leader, correct?”

“I am. Captain-” Jim said.

She held a hand up, cutting him off. “I remember your name and title, Captain Kirk.” She smiled. “Lord Marshal Vaako sends his apologies for your earlier mistreatment,” she said so smoothly that Leonard had no doubt she was lying through her teeth. “I do hope you will not judge us too harshly because of it. Your friend’s appearance was unexpected, to say the least.”

Jim nodded, glancing briefly at Leonard. “I can imagine the similarities must be… unsettling.”

“Yes,” she agreed and looked around. “Unsettling. But let’s move this conversation somewhere more private. You must be starving.” She made a graceful gesture with her hand. “This way.” 

She led them closer to the throne and Leonard realized with a start that it was occupied. Lord Marshal Vaako looked up as they approached and his eyes fixed on Leonard. The hostility was plain in those coal dark eyes and Leonard feared that the man would attack him again. Instead, Vaako chose to ignore them and returned his attention to the men standing around him. One of them handed him something that looked like a data tablet. 

“Sends his apologies my ass,” Leonard mumbled under his breath.

Lady Vaako turned to the left of the throne and began ascending the stairs, Jim just a few steps behind her, it seemed like his friend didn’t even notice Vaako. Leonard paused and threw one last look at his evil twin, once again their eyes met, only this time Vaako’s eyes seemed to be questioning instead of hostile. 

“Bones!” Jim’s voice made him jump and the eye contact was broken as he hurried to follow, when he glanced back Vaako’s head was bent over the tablet, reading.


	12. Chapter 12

Khan paced around the fire pit. Every instinct told him to go outside and do all he could to cover their tracks, secure the area, and check for more enemies but he didn’t dare leave Riddick alone in his condition. The big man had been unconscious for hours with no signs of waking up any time soon and Khan feared the worst. He had begun with every intention of using the man as a means to his own ends, but after their fight in the shuttle, things had shifted for Khan. He trusted Riddick, and he had never trusted anyone other than his people, and even then only the ones closest to him had his full trust. He dreaded the thought of having to navigate this new world without Riddick. Of being alone again, and if he was being honest with himself, it was more than just trust that kept him at Riddick’s side now. 

He walked to the bed and felt Riddick’s forehead. It was damp with sweat and he was burning up. Khan quickly but carefully unwrapped the bandages to check the wound, worried it was infected, but the wound seemed normal. There was no inflammation, no discoloration - he sniffed - no out of the ordinary odors either. Could he be reacting to his blood? Khan felt pure terror for the first time in his life. Had he killed Riddick in his attempt to save him? Was his blood lethal instead of healing to a Furyan?

He redressed the wound and cleaned Riddick’s face and neck with a wet, cool cloth and for the first time since passing out Riddick stirred a bit.

“Riddick?” Khan said tentatively. 

“Shirah,” Riddick mumbled in his sleep.

Khan frowned at the unfamiliar word and then jumped back, startled, as a silvery shimmer coursed over Riddick’s body.

He was about to shake it off and put it down as a trick of the fire light, when it happened again and then again. He noticed that the shine was just a touch more visible where there were veins, and its rhythm seemed like that of a slow heartbeat. In fact, the glow originated from Riddick’s chest, like a pebble thrown into calm waters, rippling outwards throughout his body, growing stronger with each pulse. As Khan watched the center of the glow took the shape of a handprint, it pulsed in and out, but it was undeniably a human handprint. 

Khan became aware that he was moving closer, reaching out to touch that mark on Riddick’s chest, but he was unable to even consider stopping himself. His fingertips had barely touched the glowing skin and he felt a tingling sensation going up his arm.

 _I feel you…_

If the voice hadn’t been female, Khan would have believed it to be a stray thought. It sounded from inside his head, like a whisper at the back of his mind. He pressed his hand firmly over the mark and the cave dissolved around him, leaving him standing on a hill. The horizon was set afire with a red sunset, broken only by the jagged peaks of rocky mountains in the distance. He looked down the hill and saw a vast open plane, riddled with gravestones and the woman who walked among them, approaching him. She had the bearing of a warrior and her eyes were a light brown, almost orange, like a wolf. 

“I see you now,” she said, halting just an arm’s length away from Khan. Her voice as well held something of power.

“Who are you?” Khan asked. He gestured around them. “Where are we? Is this a dream?”

“For the ancestral blood, that is and is not ours, to be awakened you must first complete the bond. The power within needs to flow as one or it will consume him.”

Khan frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“You must let him claim you, all of you, and you must claim him. Claim _us_.”

Khan’s patience was wearing thin. “I asked who you are. What have you done to Riddick?”

Her expression darkened and her eyes narrowed. “I am keeping him alive. It is your blood that is killing him. Complete the bond!”

“What bond? I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

She seemed confused by this. “How is it possible that you do not know? I felt you…” She closed the distance between them and looked up into his eyes. “I know you. You _must_ know us.”

“I don’t know you,” Khan growled.

She raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? Look closer.” 

She did seem familiar, like a faded memory of someone he used to know, but Khan had more pressing matters on his mind. “Riddick,” he said, lowering his face to hers. “Do you know how to save him or not?”

“He will be saved once the bond is complete. I can help you complete it but you must first claim him as your own. Do you claim him?” 

“Yes,” Khan said. “I claim him.”

“Once the bond is made it cannot be broken.”

“So be it,” Khan snapped.

She raised a hand to his chest and he saw that it was glowing with the same light as the handprint on Riddick’s chest. “This _will_ hurt,” she said and before he could react she touched him.

It felt like a fire started in his chest, searing its way through his veins. He fell on his knees, his body tensing and contorting. Her hand still pressed to his chest the woman leaned over him. “I am Shirah. Welcome home, Khan,” she whispered and disappeared but the pain didn’t. It only kept building until Khan felt he would die of it. He closed his eyes, threw his head back and screamed.

As suddenly as it began the pain was gone. Panting, Khan opened his eyes just in time to see the glow leaving his body, through his hand, and go into Riddick’s chest. He was back in the cave. He leaned over Riddick and checked his pulse, it felt strong, much stronger and he didn’t seem to have a fever anymore. Feeling a wave of relief Khan sat back on his heels and took a few deep breaths. Wondering what the hell had just happened.

***

They were seated at a large table, though not so large as to prevent easy conversation, and a feast was being served by stunningly beautiful women. Once the plates were set the women left the room and it was just them with Lady Vaako at the head of the table. Jim to her right and Leonard to her left, it all seemed very civilized and yet the feeling of danger kept haunting Leonard’s every moment. 

Leonard eyed the food and wished he had his tricorder to determine where the meat they served them came from. He opted for the vegetables, he didn’t recognize any of those either but the worst-case scenario with those was poisoning. He preferred that over other, more disturbing, possibilities. He noticed Jim following his lead and felt amusement and a bit of pride. He hid both, trying to give nothing to the ever-watchful Lady Vaako.

A woman walked in holding a large amphora. She made her way around the table, staring with Lady Vaako, and filled their glasses with a rich, golden liquid. When she got to Leonard’s glass he couldn’t help but notice that her elaborate headdress pierced her skin at the top of her forehead and just under both temples. As a doctor, it was very hard not to flinch among these Necromongers. 

“Aquilan spirits,” Lady Vaako informed them. “Very rare, only a few bottles left in existence.”

“Oh?” Jim said, taking a sip from his cup and making his impressed face. “It’s very good, why so rare though?”

“The Aquilans have been purified.”

Leonard exchanged a look with Jim, it was clear they both came to the same horrible conclusion. 

“I see,” Jim said, taking another, forced, sip. Leonard refused to even touch his. 

“Tell me, Captain Kirk,” Lady Vaako purred. “This United Federation of Planets you spoke of, which planets does it include?” 

Jim hesitated but saying nothing was not an option. “The United Federation of Planets is an interstellar alliance of more than one hundred and fifty planetary governments, spread out over eight thousand light-years.”

Lady Vaako seemed impressed and her eyes gleamed with interest. “What is the name of your planet then?”

“Earth…”

Leonard cleared his throat. “What about you, Lady Vaako? Where do the Necromongers come from?”

She seemed surprised by Jim’s answer and annoyed at Leonard’s interruption but she recovered quickly, though not before giving the serving girl a meaningful glance that had the woman scurrying from the room.

“Necromongers are one of the four elder races, though most Necromongers you will meet today are converts. You could say that we are of many worlds and of none.”

“But what is your planet of origin called?” he insisted.

She smiled. “I doubt you’ll know of it, it’s called Asylum.”

Leonard had the feeling that she was telling them only a half-truth. “Perhaps I know it by a different name. Where is it located? What system? What quadrant?”

Her eyes narrowed and she stiffened her spine. “You-”

“Bones!” Kirk exclaimed, startling Lady Vaako and drawing her attention. “Don’t be so rude to your host. Don’t mind him Lady Vaako, he’s always been the grumpy sort.”

Leonard took a breath and collected himself. Jim was right, angering her and by extension, her husband would do them no good. “My apologies, Lady Vaako, I didn’t mean to come off as rude. I was just curious.”

“Understandable,” she said, appearing to relax again. “I will answer your question, though your curiosity won’t be alleviated. I don’t know where Asylum is, I’ve never been there. The Necropolis is the only home I’ve ever known.”

The doors opened and Lord Marshal Vaako entered the room, looking furious. Leonard tensed but followed Jim’s lead and stood to give a small bow of respect to his evil twin, which he ignored as he fixed his gaze on the still seated Lady Vaako. 

“Don’t you think your little display in the middle of the Necropolis was a bit too public?” he growled at his wife.

She waved a nonchalant hand in Leonard’s direction. “They already know he’s here and the rumors were much worse than the truth. I even heard one where he was supposed to be a holy half-dead and true ruler of the Necromongers.” All three men coughed at that. “Now that they’ve seen him,” she went on, standing up smoothly, “clearly a breeder, those rumors will be dismissed and you, husband, have shown that you have no fear of them or these breeders.” She titled her head back defiantly. “You do recall what befell the last Lord Marshal when he gave in to his fears.”

“I fear nothing!” Vaako hissed.

She walked to him and caressed his face, down his neck and to his chest. “Of course not, my Lord, and they needed to see that.”

Vaako’s eyes met Leonard’s for a split second and Leonard was surprised to find himself feeling sorry for the man. 

“Next time, inform me of your plans.”

“As you wish, husband. Come, join us.” She wrapped her hands around his arm and guided him to the chair opposite hers then walked back to her own chair. 

They all waited for Vaako to sit first and then resumed their places. Leonard couldn’t help but wonder at the relationship their two hosts had. Vaako seemed to dislike his wife and yet he seemed reluctant to oppose her too strongly. The Lady, on the other hand, was harder to read. Leonard couldn’t tell if she hated or loved her husband, or if there was something else there entirely. 

They poked at their food in silence for a while and when the silence became just a bit too unbearable, Jim cleared his throat. All eyes turned towards him.

“Lord Marshal, I don’t mean to push our luck but what do you plan to do with us?” 

Leonard watched on the edge of his seat as Lord Vaako looked at a piece of meat on his fork and seemed to consider the question. That or he was also wondering what the hell that meat was. 

“Until I know more it would be unwise to make a decision now.” He looked back at Jim as he guided the fork to his mouth. He didn’t seem particularly pleased with the taste.

Jim nodded. “I understand, I would’ve done the same in your place, but I assure you, we mean you no harm. Our mission has nothing to do with you. We didn’t even know you existed.”

“Your assurances mean nothing to me, Captain.”

Jim hesitated and, knowing him, Leonard could tell he was a bit annoyed at Vaako’s rudeness. “Were you at least able to confirm what I’ve told you?”

“Yes, I was,” Vaako said and before Jim could speak further he turned his attention on Leonard. “You don’t speak much.”

Caught off guard, Leonard glanced nervously at Jim who seemed about as worried as Leonard felt. “I’m just a doctor.” 

“Surely, _Doctor_ , you must have an opinion on the matter? You seemed willing enough to put your lives on the line before, in order to keep the truth from me.”

Leonard swallowed the lump of fear forming in his throat. He wasn’t a man that scared easy but this whole situation kept finding him unprepared. “I was worried about contaminating the timeline. As an annoying colleague of ours would say… the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” He heard Jim choke on that. 

“Then you are wiser than your Captain, Doctor,” Vaako said and glanced coldly at Jim, nipping in the bud any protest the Captain might’ve made. Looking back at him, Vaako went on. “However, you being from the past has little effect on us. I’d be more worried about what you learn about the future and how you’ll use that knowledge. Assuming, of course, that you eventually make it back.”

“That makes sense…” 

“So what would you suggest?”

Leonard frowned. It was beyond strange to be questioned like this by a dark mirror image of himself. It was obvious that he and Vaako were nothing alike. Where he respected and cared for all life, his mirror seemed to worship death, and Leonard was increasingly worried about where this conversation was going. “I’m a doctor, I don’t… I’m not…”

“Put your fear aside for a moment, Doctor, and think! The needs of the many, after all…”

“Husband,” Lady Vaako began.

“Silence!” Vaako barked and her mouth closed so fast that Leonard heard her teeth click. “Doctor?” Vaako pressed.

“It would be… logical to end the contamination here,” Leonard said wincing. It felt like he had just signed his and Jim’s death warrants.

Vaako leaned back in his chair looking very pleased. 

“Unless!” Leonard said quickly as the thought occurred to him. “ _Not_ letting us go back _is_ what causes the contamination of the timeline.”

Vaako smiled. “And now, Doctor, you see my conundrum.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone is wondering who Shirah is, she was in the second Riddick movie (Unrated Director's Cut) and in the games Escape from Butcher Bay and Hunt for Riddick. I always thought the movie made a lot more sense with her in it. :)


	13. Chapter 13

Riddick opened his eyes feeling warm, comfortable and more rested than he had in years. He took a deep, content breath and felt a slight resistance against his chest, looking down he saw a crown of dark hair and smiled. Khan was curled up against him, sleeping with his head on Riddick’s chest. No wonder he was feeling warm and the fact that Khan showed this level of closeness on his own warmed more than Riddick’s body.

He tried to carefully move his arm around the smaller man but at the movement, Khan stirred and his head shot up. He blinked at Riddick. 

“Didn’t mean to wake you, beastie,” Riddick said, reaching up to stroke back the fringe of hair that had fallen over Khan’s right eye.

“You’re awake!” The smile Khan gave him was blinding in its brilliance and Riddick’s breath caught in his throat. Khan sat up and looked down at him. “How are you feeling?” He felt his forehead and looked him in each eye carefully. 

“Um… good? How long have I been out?”

“Almost two days. I don’t think I was asleep for more than a couple of hours…” He suddenly threw the furs off them and moved down the bed. He started unwrapping Riddick’s injured leg.

Riddick shivered at the sudden absence of warmth. “Khan… Khan!” when Khan paused and looked at him Riddick said firmly, “Stop your fussing and get your ass back here.” 

Khan looked down at the bandages. “I need to-”

“No. Here. Now.”

“You-”

“No.”

Khan looked at him clearly annoyed, Riddick raised an eyebrow in challenge and when Khan didn’t bite Riddick sighed. “Just give me a moment of peace and then I’ll let you poke at me to your heart’s content. Please, Khan.”

Khan’s whole demeanor softened and he nodded; he took a moment to rewrap the bandages and moved back up the bed. Riddick held his arm out and Khan nestled in, placing his head back on his chest and wrapping an arm around him. Riddick took a deep breath and stroked Khan’s arm with his free hand. “That’s much better,” he murmured and squeezed the smaller man when he didn’t respond. “Don’t pout, beastie.”

“I don’t _pout_ ,” Khan grumbled.

“You were worried.”

Silence.

Riddick sighed. “I’m a hard man to kill and I’ve had worse wounds than this, trust me.”

“Who is Shirah?”

Riddick frowned and pushed Khan back to look at his face. “Where did you hear that name?” Khan was avoiding eye contact. “Did something happen while I was out?” Riddick asked softening his tone.

“You could say that.”

“Did I harm you?”

Khan met his eyes with a questioning frown. “How would you have- Never mind. I’ll tell you everything, if you let me get up, check your wound and bring you some food.” He pinched Riddick’s bicep. At first, Riddick was confused, and then he noticed how loose his skin seemed. “You’ll need it,” Khan finished and extracted himself from Riddick’s arms.

As Khan walked towards their food supply, Riddick pinched his skin again. It felt not only loose but thin and dehydrated and it seemed like he lost some muscle mass as well. “I thought you said I was out not even two days. How did I lose this much weight?” 

Khan had his back to him as he rummaged through the supplies, but Riddick could see the tension in the man’s movements. He looked down at his wrapped leg and frowned as a thought occurred to him. His leg didn’t hurt, he moved it and all he felt was a bit of stiffness and a dull soreness. He sat up and started unwrapping the bandages. The wound was nearly healed; only new, pinkish skin remained to show where it had been. When he looked up, Khan was standing by the bed with a bowl full of fatty meat forgotten in his hand. He was staring at Riddick’s wound with a mixture of confusion and fascination. 

“I heal faster than most, Khan, but not this fast.”

Khan blinked and looked at him. “I’ve never seen it work this fast before. Not for a wound that size.” He seemed to shake himself and held the bowl out to Riddick. “You eat while I explain.” 

Riddick took the bowl and as soon as the smell of meat hit his nostrils he realized he was ravenous. He popped a large piece in his mouth and motioned to Khan to start talking.

Khan lowered himself to the floor, sitting with his legs crossed. “Short version, I gave you my blood. It’s something I’ve done in the past with humans and it assisted with their healing. My blood could be given to anyone, what you’d call a universal donor, but I’d never tested it on non-humans before.”

Riddick swallowed. “So it worked better on me?”

“Actually, it nearly killed you.” 

“But other than starved and a few pounds lighter I feel better than ever.” He took another mouthful of meat and chewed quickly, swallowing it nearly whole before stuffing another in.

“It’s not a miracle cure. My blood uses the body’s own resources to force it to heal faster. That’s its strength and its flaw.”

“Ah,” Riddick said, forcing another half-chewed piece down his throat, “that’s why you ate so much when you were wounded and I’m guessing why I feel so hungry now?” He kept eating, the bowl now almost half empty.

“Yes, but I don’t think that was the cause of nearly killing you. For some reason, my blood seemed to be attacking rather than healing your body.”

“I’m guessing we’re at the long version now?”

“You were unconscious and burning up, I didn’t know what to do, and then you called out for this Shirah. Your body started to glow and you had a-”

“Aura-like handprint on my chest?”

“Yes…” 

Riddick put the bowl down on his lap. “It’s called The Wrath of Furyans. It happened a couple of times before, when I was in danger, and it’s usually deadly to those around me. I always see Shirah when it happens.”

“I saw her too, and spoke with her.”

“You spoke with her? Like a two-way conversation?”

“Yes. You don’t?”

“I was never able to talk back to her. Go on.”

“When I saw the handprint on your chest I touched it and I had this vision of another place, it looked like a massive graveyard.”

“Furya.”

Khan nodded. “Shirah came up to me and said that in order for me to save you I had to complete the bond.” 

Riddick noticed that Khan was avoiding eye contact again. “That’s not exactly what she said, is it?”

Khan shifted nervously. “She said I had to let you claim me, all of me and I had to claim you as well and perhaps her too? I don’t know. She made no sense, except…” He suddenly removed his shirt and rose to his knees. “When I accepted she touched my chest, I felt like I was burning up and when I opened my eyes I was glowing like you were and then my blood started working to heal you and now…” He reached out and placed his hand on Riddick’s chest. “This.”

Riddick watched, surprised, as the familiar handprint was now glowing on Khan’s chest. He looked down at his own chest and saw it glowing there as well, under Khan’s hand. “She marked you, even though you’re not Furyan?”

“Actually, I think you marked me, she just made me accept it.”

Riddick frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“Neither do I, Riddick, this seems to be a Furyan thing. I do know that I sensed when you were in danger. When your leg got caught in the trap, I felt it. I also knew where to go to find you. That is not an ability I’ve had before.” He removed his hand from Riddick’s chest and sat back on his heels, the mark faded. “When we first met, I soon realized you had this ability to… impose your… dominance. It worked on me a couple of times before I realized it was happening. When I did, I started to resist it. I think I faltered in my resistance though, after our fight on the shuttle, when I realized I could trust you. I wanted to trust you.”

Riddick laughed. “I’m sorry,” he said when Khan looked at him confused and perhaps a little hurt. “I thought it only ever worked with beasties. I suppose you really are a beastie.”

“You were aware of this?”

“Not that it could work on you, no, I’d never do that to a person and I wasn’t aware I was doing it with you. But I have used it on animals before and it doesn’t always work.” His amusement evaporated when he realized the meaning of what he was saying. “Fuck me… Khan, I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize. I would never force myself-”

“No! No, no.” Khan said quickly, cutting him off. “It’s not like that, it’s not mind-control. It’s more of a feeling. In the end, it was my choice.” He looked him straight in the eyes. “It is my choice, got it?” 

Riddick nodded, feeling a bit reassured. There was a lot that he didn’t know about himself, about his Furyan self. “And the mark?”

“Shirah also gave me a choice and I didn’t do it because you’d have died if I didn’t. I did it because I didn’t want to lose you. Because I… care for you.” He rose, removed the bowl from Riddick’s lap and set it aside. He climbed back into bed, straddled Riddick’s lap and kissed him briefly. “She did say the bond is unbreakable though. Did I overstep? When I accepted? Did I assume too much on your behalf?”

“No,” Riddick said feeling like his heart grew a few sizes. He grabbed Khan’s ass and grinned up at him. “I was drawn to you the moment I saw you in that cryostasis unit. I want you to be mine and mine alone.”

Khan grinned. “That’s good,” he said. “Because you are stuck with me now.” He kissed him again, a deep, filthy kiss and Riddick was impressed at how fast Khan was learning. Then he removed Riddick’s hands from his ass and got up.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Riddick protested.

Khan handed him the bowl back. “Eat and get your strength back. I’m not having half-assed sex with you,” he raised a mocking eyebrow. “I do have standards.”

Riddick growled playfully. “Careful, beastie, or you’ll be getting more than you bargained for.” He grinned and started eating again when Khan looked unimpressed. “Did Shirah say anything else to you?”

“There was something about her feeling or sensing me and knowing me. She seemed surprised that I didn’t know her or how to complete this bond thing myself. You didn’t tell me who she is.”

“I only know her name and that she’s Furyan. I can’t even tell you if she’s alive or some spirit, or perhaps a memory. All I know is that she appears when I need saving and that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have an agenda of her own.”

“If I hadn’t experienced it for myself I wouldn’t believe it. This crosses the line to the metaphysical and I always thought that to be bullshit.”

Riddick snorted. “I’ve heard that Furyans were strong spiritual warriors. Furyan energy is a very real thing, even if I don’t know how to control it.” He grinned. “And just wait until you meet an Elemental. I don’t know what the world was like in your time, Khan, but this world is full of crap that will make you question your sanity.”

Khan grinned back. “My sanity has always been in question.” He picked up his shirt and pulled it on, then picked up his leathers.

“What are you doing?”

“I’ve been hiding in here for two days watching over you. I need to check what’s going on outside. We don’t want more of those mercs finding us with our pants down.”

Riddick put the bowl away and sat at the edge of the bed. “I’m coming with you.”

Khan looked at him. “You’ll only slow me down,” he said coldly, then winced at his own tone and walked up to Riddick, taking his face in both hands. “Stay here, eat, and heal. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I trusted you, now I need you to trust me.”

“Test the ground with your spear for traps, and keep away from open areas. Make sure you always-” Khan kissed him and Riddick let him. “Alright,” he said when Khan pulled back. “I trust you.”

Khan smiled. “Thank you.”

Riddick pulled him back when he turned to walk away. “I love you, beastie.” He watched as a million emotions played on Khan’s face, his eyes twitching left and right with each of them, and he wondered if he made a big mistake. Then Khan reached out and placed his hand on his chest and Riddick felt the warmth of the energy there and knew it echoed on Khan’s chest as well.

“And I love you, Riddick,” Khan said, then turned and quickly left the cave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's parts like this that make me wish I had a beta reader to tell me if I should post or scrap it.  
> I tried to keep it short and make as much sense as possible. I will be taking my time from now on as things get a bit more complicated in the next parts. Thank you to everyone that might still be reading this :)


	14. Chapter 14

“Earth, Vaako!” she hissed as soon as the doors to their private quarters closed behind them. “They aren’t just from the past they are from Earth! Do you know what this could mean?”

Vaako walked up to the window and looked outside. His armada ships were all around them, looking like a comet to anyone seeing it from afar, conversion or death to anyone witnessing it up-close. He had to admit, he was impressed that his wife kept her calm this long. “Of course I do,” he said, knowing that it wouldn’t matter once her mind started whirling with possibilities. 

“The planet of origin! This could be bad, very bad, Vaako.” He could hear her pacing. “One slight deviation from history and the Necromonger faith might never exist! _We_ might never exist. The world doomed to never see the Underverse.”

 _And will that be so bad?_ Vaako was shocked at his own thought.

He had always been a strong believer of the faith. The only time he had ever felt any doubt was that fateful day he was sent to hunt down Riddick at Crematoria. He did not like that which he didn’t understand and he always thought he understood death the most, but Riddick proved him wrong. The man had brought down twenty of Vaako’s best men without lifting a finger. No weapons, explosion, nothing material, the man had just snuffed out twenty men with his own life-force before going down himself. Vaako’s wife had tried to reassure him. Not all mysteries were miracles, not even in their religion, but Vaako still had that doubt in his mind. It only became stronger when Riddick, who Vaako had left for dead, returned - and the Furyan was not only alive, but had tracked them down, them the great Necromongers, and killed their Lord Marshal. 

Vaako’s reflection in the window frowned back at him. Here he was, with another mess to untangle and on his way to meet Riddick. It seemed that every time he had doubts about his faith, about his path, Riddick was close by. 

“Are you even listening to me?”

He turned to face his clearly panicked wife. “Hysteria doesn’t suit you, Lady Vaako,” he told her coolly and got the desired effect.

She stood straight and challenged him with her eyes. “What do you plan to do, Lord Marshal?”

“I’ve already done it and I have a feeling I succeeded where you have failed.”

“Explain yourself!”

He was on her in the blink of an eye, slamming her against the wall and squeezing that delicate throat in his hand. “Remember to whom you are speaking, Lady Vaako.” He let her go but remained standing menacingly over her as she clutched her throat in shock, coughing. When she dared to look up at him he smiled. “The breeders from Earth are more intelligent than we originally gave them credit for. Give them time to think over our conversation and they will see that it is to their best interest to cooperate with us. They will tell me all I need to know to decide if I should kill them or help them get back to their time.”

“What makes you think they won’t try to deceit us to preserve their lives?”

“I believe they will tell the truth, they seem the self-sacrificing type but it won’t matter if they don’t. We have access to the Aquilan records and I already sent a ship to find the Elemental Aereon and bring her to us. Aquilans and Elementals have been gathering information for ages; if someone knows how the past unfolded it will be them and once the breeders talk we will know what to look for. Then we’ll see just how important these breeders really are.”

“You think that witch will come?” Lady Vaako said, her expression souring.

“Riddick spared her life and I spared her world, so far. She’ll come if she knows what’s good for her and her race.”

“But can she be trusted? You know Elementals are nothing but witches and spies, no one knows what they really want and I don’t believe for a second their claims of neutrality. You know as well as I that they hate Necromongers.”

“You don’t believe anyone about anything, Lady Vaako, and no matter how much they hate us, Elementals want nothing more than to preserve what they believe to be the balance of the world intact. Those two breeders, a few rooms over, they are a bigger threat to that balance Elementals crave than we’ve ever been.” 

“And what of Riddick?”

He glared at her and she shrank back. “What of him?”

“Should you be meeting him now? After this?”

“I sense Riddick has a part to play in all this.” _He could also be the only one I can trust now,_ he thought but hid the doubt from his wife’s ever-watchful eyes. “I will hear no more on the matter. Is that clear?”

She seemed about to argue further but then she nodded and reached up to touch his chest. “You know that my place is at your side, dear husband. From here _till Underverse come._ ”

Vaako covered her hand with his own, wishing he could believe her, even for just a second. “Until Underverse come.”

***

“What are we going to do, Jim?” Leonard asked pacing around their much-improved accommodations. He paused and looked at his friend, who was sprawled on the king-sized bed with his eyes closed. “How can you sleep at a time like this?” he shouted in annoyance.

“I’m not sleeping, Bones, I’m thinking.”

“Well think on your feet, man!”

Jim sat up and fixed him with those clear blue eyes of his that always made Leonard cave to whatever plans Jim had. “I don’t see a lot of options, Bones. The probes we sent ahead showed us empty space, no signs of any activity in the area, instead we nearly collided with an armada of ships and we are completely unprepared.”

“That’s because you and Mr. Know-it-all Spock never listen to me! The shuttle will be at these coordinates, Captain,” he said in his best Spock voice. “All we’ll have to do is guide them to the wormhole Spock will create for us, Bones, no fuss no muss,” he mocked Jim next. “I told you this was a bad idea. We should have left Khan to his fate!”

“And the two pilots?” Jim reminded him gently and Leonard felt like a monster. “I know you didn’t mean it, Bones. You’re scared… So am I. But we have two men lost out there and a psychopath popsicle we need to retrieve or who knows what will happen. Not to mention the Federation’s plans.”

Leonard sighed and rubbed his face vigorously, trying to think. “Maybe we should tell my… Vaako, the whole story. He seems like an intelligent man, and I’m not just saying that because he looks like me. I think he understands the dangers of messing around with the timeline.”

“Or we could have another Nero on our hands.” Jim jumped off the bed and walked up to him, grabbing him by the shoulders. “Our timeline got fucked up once already. Can we risk it again?”

“We’re the ones fucking it up, Jim. We’re the ones that traveled to his time, not the other way around. He was right, if someone should worry here, it’s him.”

“What if it turns out that we die here?”

Leonard laughed halfheartedly. “I doubt that to be the fate of James T. Kirk. You, my friend, got nine lives.”

Jim grinned. “I just hope I didn’t use them all up already, Bones.”

“We’ll also need to convince him to find the other shuttle and those boys… but what do we tell him about Khan?”

Jim’s hands started to shake and he abruptly let go of Leonard’s shoulders. Leonard knew that even after six years his friend still had nightmares of Khan crushing Marcus’s skull like an egg. Of his ship falling apart around him, so many of their crew dead, Jim dead. 

Leonard pressed on. “At the least, we’ll need to convince them not to unfreeze him. Or we really are screwed.”

“You’re right, Bones. I hate to say it but we just might have to trust that these Necromongers have enough sense to see we’re not the enemy here. Because I hate to think what will happen if they don’t.”

“As long as that bastard is still frozen, there’s hope.”

***

Khan paused a few meters away from the cave’s mouth. He closed his eyes and tried to listen for anything out of the ordinary but his mind kept going back to Riddick. Was love something possible for someone like him? He had said the words, and he had meant them. When Riddick said he loved him, Khan doubted him. He thought Riddick was mocking him, didn’t know how to react, but then he touched the man’s chest and he could feel the truth of it through the bond. He also knew that he felt the same and the words slipped out of his mouth before his mind had even processed them. It had terrified him, so he left as quickly as he could.

He laughed mockingly at himself. Was this how normal humans felt? All these complicated little emotions, always there, distracting, infuriating… warm, anchoring, belonging. Was Riddick turning him more human than he’d ever been among humans? Was it all because of some magical Furyan bond or has that potential always been inside him? He closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose. _Khan, human after all, but that doesn’t make me less than what I’ve always been,_ he decided. _I’ve found my heart and now I need to protect it._

He took another deep breath and focused. He could hear something, very faint… the wind carried the noise to him but it also distorted it. His best guess was that it came from the direction he had brought down the merc ship. It made sense that if more mercs came they would investigate the crash-site first.

He looked at the ground, his tracks were already been filled with fresh and windblown snow, and the wind seemed to be picking up. At least he wouldn’t have to worry too much about leaving footprints. He looked up the cliff face of their cave, he had always been an excellent climber, and plus side, if he went higher he could have a better view of the area around him. On the other hand, he would be more exposed if a ship happened to fly by. However, staying on the obvious paths could mean traps and ambushes. He frowned. Since when had he been so indecisive?

His eyes strayed to the cave’s entrance and he finally identified the source of his hesitation. He wasn’t worried about his own well being, he never had been, he was worried about leaving Riddick alone. He sighed, annoyed with himself, this was no time to play it safe. He finally had a target and he needed to eliminate it, those humans were no real threat to him. He started climbing.

He was pleased to see that the top of the cliff opened up to a relatively flat area. It would be easy enough for him to sprint on but it also had enough of those big crystal growths for him to take cover if he needed it. His risk-taking seemed to be already paying off. He took off, keeping his eyes and ears open for threats. The crash site hadn’t been far from the cave and soon he heard voices.

Khan slowed down and dropped on his belly. He crawled the last few feet to the edge of a ledge that was overlooking the crash-site. There was a small shuttle-like ship below. It had landed almost on top of the ruins of the previous merc ship and four men were picking through the crash-site. It looked like the local fauna had taken care of the bodies, and the snow covered the blood. As he watched another man came down a loading ramp from the back of their ship. He seemed to be giving orders and checking a small device in his hand.

Khan watched carefully from his vantage point trying to decide where to strike first. he’d need to get his hands on a gun before the mercs realized he was there. None of them seemed to stray far from the group though. The weapons they carried seemed like the ones from his time, probably bullets then. What wouldn’t he give for a phaser right now. 

First, he needed to find an isolated place to climb down. He started to push himself back from the ledge when the leader of the merc’s looked up. Khan froze, but the merc wasn’t looking at him. He was talking with someone through a communication device and searching the sky. He faintly heard the man say, “I see it,” and saw him point up, somewhere left of Khan. Painfully slow Khan turned his head and tried to see what the man had pointed at. 

“Are you sure?” He heard the man say, “Are you absolutely sure?”

Khan frowned. All he could see was a comet leisurely making its way across the sky, and as impressive as the celestial object was, with its extensive silvery tail, he could see no reason it got the merc so excited.

“You better be sure you bastard!” the man was yelling at whoever was on the other end. “Or we might be losing the largest payday we’ve ever had because you shit your panties over a-” 

He was cut off by what Khan could only hear as static, but guessed was the person on the other end yelling back.

The merc lowered the com-device and kicked snow. “Gather the gear!” he yelled at the others, who had all paused to listen while he’d been arguing. “We’re leaving.” He walked to their ship and started climbing the loading ramp. 

“Boss, is that what I think it is?” one of the others called after him.

“Just shut up and gather our gear. If you’re not inside in five minutes I’m leaving without you!” 

At this the rest of the mercs hassled to do as they were told, tripping over each other in their haste to make it back into their shuttle.

Khan pushed himself further back and out of view, he remained still hoping that his furs would help him blend well enough with the snow as the ship passed overhead and headed for space. When he could no longer hear their engine he rose to his knees and looked up at the comet. Was the damn thing on a collision course with the planet? Its trajectory seemed off course for that.

He turned as he heard another engine from somewhere behind him. It was another ship in the distance, also heading for space, and then another further to the right. _Like rats deserting a sinking ship,_ Khan thought and got to his feet. He needed to get back to Riddick, fast. 

He walked to the edge and looked down. Fifteen meters to the ground below and four meters out to avoid the sharp edges of the cliff’s face. It would save him least half an hour of climbing down to get back to Riddick. He picked his spot, moved back a few steps, ran, and dove off. Halfway down he tucked his knees in to align himself then stretched them, slightly bend at the knees, as he hit the ground on his toes and rolled. He was up and running a second later, relishing the feeling of pushing his body just a bit, after so many days cooped up. He felt a tug at his chest and grinned, wondering if somehow, Riddick has sensed the thrill of his freefall. This bond was something that he’d like to experiment with, assuming they weren’t about to be blown off the face of the planet by a comet. He cleared his mind to focus all his energy on getting back to the cave as fast as his augmented body could take him.

He burst into the cave and nearly collided with Riddick. He held a hand up before the big man could speak and took a few hasty breaths. “What happened to trusting me?” he said, eyeing Riddick, fully geared up and ready to go outside.

Riddick held out a familiar spear. “I felt something… and you forgot this.”

Khan rolled his eyes. “I saw mercs, lots of them, at least three ships but they all fled the planet.”

Riddick’s eyebrows rose over his goggles. “You can be scary, beastie, but not that scary.”

Khan made a face. “I wasn’t boasting. I think they spotted a comet and couldn’t leave fast enough, but I don’t know why. It doesn’t seem to be on a collision course. Go outside and see for yourself.”

Riddick limped past him and Khan followed him outside. “Hah! The bastard actually came.” Riddick said, smiling.

Khan frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“That’s no comet, beastie, it’s the Necromonger armada. It’s Vaako.”

***

“Lord Marshal.”

Vaako looked up from his reading. “What is it, commander?”

“We are approaching the ice-planet and the Lensors have detected ships leaving its orbit. Your orders, my Lord?”

Vaako stood. “Send frigates after them and scan the ships for Furyan life-signs. If you find Furyan life-signs detain the ship, if not destroy them. Scan the planet as well.”

“Yes, Lord Marshal.”

“And commander.”

“Yes my Lord?”

“No mistakes or I’ll personally make sure you never see the Underverse.”

The commander bowed. “Obedience without question. Loyalty until Underverse come.”

“Inform me the moment the Furyan is found. I want to be the first to meet with him.” Vaako said and dismissed the commander. As soon as the man left he sat back down and ran a weary hand through his hair. Was there hostility in the man’s tone when he recited the mantra of obedience? He’d been feeling tension among his commanders since the breeders came aboard, and it seemed to be getting worse the closer they got to meeting up with Riddick. He needed someone to watch his back, but who could he trust?


	15. Chapter 15

Jim approached the door leading out of their room and was surprised to see it opening. He glanced back at Bones who shrugged in response. They cautiously exited their room and looked around; there was no one else in sigh. 

“Huh,” Jim said and walked further towards the center of the room, looking around him. He didn’t really have the luxury of taking it all in the first time he was here, when they had dined with Lady Vaako and the Lord Marshal. It was a large room, the walls on the left and right were lined with doors identical to the one leading to their room, and then there were the large double doors at one end, those he knew led to the massive throne room, or as their hosts called it, the Necropolis. Opposite the main doors was a large window. Jim could see the Necromonger armada, both beautiful and terrifying. To see so many ships traveling as one, Jim couldn’t help but think that it was for no good. 

“This must be some sort of crew quarters area,” Bones commented, obviously taking in the details as well. “And this room must be their mess hall or common room,” he added pointing at the table they had dinner on last night.

Jim walked to the large table as he noticed that it was already set with plates full of fruits, nuts and vegetables. “Only ten rooms, five on each side. Looks more like guest rooms to me,” he said, “or maybe rooms for high ranking officers?” 

“Actually, these are the Lord Marshal’s private quarters.”

They both jumped and spun around. “Where the hell did you come from?” Bones exclaimed and Jim winced.

“He means good morning, Lady Vaako,” Jim said and glared daggers at Bones. The man’s mouth was faster than his brain sometimes.

She waved a hand, dismissing both insult and apology. “I was in the communion room, when I heard your voices.” She indicated the door behind her. 

“We didn’t mean to disturb you,” Jim said quickly, before Bones said anything insulting of her faith next. “So all these rooms,” he said waving a hand at the closed doors around them, “are yours?”

“The Lord Marshal’s,” she said, “The previous Lord Marshal had his harem kept here, but Lord Marshal Vaako repurposed most of the rooms.”

“The previous Lord Marshal sounds like a charmer,” Bones mumbled.

The edges of her mouth twitched into a smile. “As all breeders are, I’m sure.”

Jim hesitated, he didn’t know the woman well enough to be a judge, but compared to the last time he saw her, she seemed nervous, maybe even cautious of them and definitely more subdued. “Is the Lord Marshal, your husband, here?”

“He is not.”

Jim nodded, maybe that was why. “Should we wait for him in our room?” 

“If you like,” she said and finally moved towards him. “Or you could both join me for breakfast.” She walked around the table to her chair and Bones hurried over to pull it back for her. She seemed surprised and a bit confused but she accepted the gesture with a gracious nod. Once she was settled in her chair, Jim and Bones sat in the ones they had occupied the night before.

“When will the Lord Marshal return? We’d like to speak with him more about our… situation.”

“He went to fetch the previous Lord Marshal,” she said almost spitting the words at him. She blinked and looked down, smoothing invisible wrinkles on her dress. 

She really was out of sorts, Jim determined. “I see,” he said.

“The one with the harem?” Bones said at the same time. Jim glanced at Bones, but his friend ignored him. 

Lady Vaako took a bite of something that looked like a white strawberry and chewed slowly. Obviously playing for time. “We received a beacon transmission to meet him on the same day we came across you.”

“So your husband is a… stand-in?” Jim ventured and instantly regretted it when she looked at him with pure venom in her eyes.

“My husband is the Lord Marshal. Riddick is just a breeder,” she snapped.

“I meant no offence,” Jim said apologetically.

“You called us breeders before too,” Bones cut in, always one to ignore tensions in favor of information, like most doctors. “What does it mean? I mean… I know what it means, but what does it mean to you? Know what I mean?” His face twisted in annoyance at his own fumbling for words. “Good god!” he exclaimed finally, making Lady Vaako jump slightly. 

She stared at him, blinking in confusion and then laughed. “You have my husband’s face but you are night and day, aren’t you?” She composed herself before she went on. “Necromongers don’t reproduce, so everyone else who does is a…” 

“Breeder,” Bones finished. “A rather wide and inaccurate term.” 

“There is more to it, Doctor, but the less you know about the future the better for you and for us.”

That took the air out of Bones’s sails. “Understood,” he said, though Jim could see that his friend was burning with curiosity.

“Should we be worried about this… Riddick? Was it?” Jim asked.

Lady Vaako hesitated for just a moment. “Vaako can handle him,” she said, but it sounded like she was trying to convince herself as much as them.

Jim nodded. He also thought that calling her husband by his name, and not his title, in front of them spoke volumes on how much this situation worried her.

***

Vaako checked the coordinates. They were close enough to the hole in the ground Riddick called home. The inside of the cave was impenetrable by scans, which is why they had chosen it. If Riddick was hiding that would be where. 

“We land here,” he told the navigators and nodded at his bodyguards. They readied their gravity guns and followed him to the exit. Only the slight shift of balance indicated that his personal Frigate had landed, he always took pride in his ship and the men he chose to pilot it. 

The door started lowering to form a ramp, his men went past him and fanned out, checking the area. Vaako walked straight out and up the hill, he could see Riddick standing at the top, in front of his cave. The bastard was going to make him walk all the way to him. Vaako pushed down his annoyance and kept walking. Let the Furyan play his little power games, Vaako was the Lord Marshal, he was above such petty things.

He was getting close enough now to get a better look at the man; Riddick looked the part of the insane recluse. His hair and beard had grown into a shabby mess, his clothes were a mismatch of furs and leathers and he held a primitive looking spear. No, Vaako realized, he was leaning on the spear, taking his weigh off his left leg.

“What took you so long?” Riddick asked in his usual mocking tone. Some things, it seems, never changed.

“You look like crap,” Vaako greeted him.

Riddick grinned and held out his arm. Vaako moved closer and clasped Riddick’s wrist, the gesture returned firmly by the big man. 

“I never thought I’d be glad to look into your dead eyes again, Vaako.”

“You’re one to speak, fish-eyes.”

Riddick laughed and Vaako couldn’t help but grin. This had been their daily routine, back when Riddick was the Lord Marshal and Vaako his second in command. The Furyan had always found it amusing that Vaako would insult him back, when all others cowered.

“Your leg,” Vaako said. “Mercs?”

Riddick grunted, another habit from back when, which usually meant yes.

“Never thought I’d see the day Riddick needed someone to rescue him from mercs,” Vaako mocked.

Riddick grinned. “Now, now, don’t get all horny on me, Vaako. The mercs came after I activated your beacon.”

Suspicions filled Vaako’s mind. “Then why did you call?”

“We need a ride.”

“We?”

Just then someone emerged from inside the cave. Vaako heard his men arming their weapons and the newcomer froze. He was dressed nearly identically to Riddick, only clean shaven from what Vaako could see of the man’s face, and carried a bundle on his back.

“Lower your weapons,” Riddick growled at the same time Vaako gave the same order.

The newcomer straightened up and pushed his hood back, he did a double take and then glared daggers at Vaako. The man had the most piercing blue eyes that Vaako had ever seen, but it wasn’t just the color, he had that same dangerous animal hidden inside them as Riddick.

“Vaako, this is Khan,” Riddick said. “Khan, this is Vaako, Lord Marshal of the Necromongers.” 

Vaako nodded and Khan’s frown depended, he glanced quickly at Riddick and back to Vaako.

“ _This_ is Vaako?” Khan asked, looking at him up and down a few times. Then Khan’s expression went blank, offering nothing more, other than cold indifference.

Vaako looked at Riddick, keeping Khan in his line of vision as much as possible. “Since when do you make friends? Is he a merc?”

“Like I’d get in bed with a merc,” Riddick said, seeming just as perplexed by Khan’s reaction. “He did rescue me from mercs though.” His eyes shifted to Vaako’s men. “Maybe we should talk about this somewhere more private. Are you going to let us come aboard your ship?”

Vaako looked back into Khan’s icy eyes and for a moment he was tempted to order his men to put him down. _Fear, Vaako?_ He scolded himself. Instead he tried to match the man’s apathy and turned to his men. “Back to the ship,” he ordered, “Do you need help with any of your things?” He asked Riddick.

“Khan has it covered,” Riddick replied and Vaako turned to follow his men without another word. 

The feeling that Khan had a personal grudge against him kept nagging Vaako, or perhaps it was a personal grudge with someone that looked very much like him? Was he on a planet they had purified or was it something else? He resisted the urge to look back, though he could almost feel those cold eyes on his back.

***

Riddick let Vaako and his men gain some distance before turning to Khan. He knew the younger man well enough by now to know when his hackles were up. “What’s wrong, beastie?”

He watched as Khan dragged his eyes, with some effort, off Vaako’s retreating back. “He looks a lot like someone I met when I was captured by Starfleet, he was also there when they put me in cryostasis again. That’s Vaako?”

Riddick nodded. “I’ve known the bastard for years. I was their Lord Marshal for five years before I made a deal with him and came here. He can be a cold and ruthless warrior, a devoted Necromonger but he is also honorable… in his own way.”

Khan seemed to consider this and then nodded. “The resemblance caught me off guard.” 

Riddick reached up and placed a hand at the back of Khan’s neck, giving him a reassuring squeeze. “Let’s go before they decide to leave without us,” he said and started down the hill to Vaako’s ship, trying his best to hide his limping. “You didn’t tear his throat out, though,” he added as Khan fell into step next to him. “That’s something.”

Khan shrugged. “The man he resembles used me, used my blood, against my will but he also showed me a shred of kindness at the end. He demanded that I was allowed to heal and see that my people were still alive before I was put back into cryostasis.”

“Used your blood? Like you used it on me?”

Khan looked at him sideways and Riddick sensed some hesitation, perhaps the beastie wasn’t ready to give someone his full trust yet.

“It’s alright,” Riddick said. “You don’t have to explain.”

Khan chewed his bottom lip for a moment. “He used my blood to bring his captain back to life.”

Riddick halted and Khan took a couple of steps before stopping and turning to look at him. “Back to life?” Riddick whispered urgently and closed the distance between them, glancing at the Necromongers. “Not a word of this around the Necromongers. Is that clear?”

“I wasn’t planning to,” Khan said coolly, his eyes though went icy cold.

“Good, keep it that way. I’m not ordering you around, Khan, these bastards believe this world must be cleansed of life, so that their precious Underverse can be populated. If they found out your blood can reverse death…”

“It doesn’t reverse death, exactly,” Khan protested. “But don’t worry. I’m not the sharing kind.”

They resumed walking. 

“You shared with me, many times,” Riddick said, keeping his voice low.

“I was planning to kill you as soon as you lost your usefulness, so it didn’t matter what you knew,” Khan said so matter of fact that Riddick actually felt a chill go up his spine. Khan touched his arm and Riddick met his eyes. “I meant what I said in the cave,” Khan went on, his voice gentle now. “I love you and I trust you. We haven’t known each other long but it is what it is. You are part of my family now and I’d do anything for my family.”

Riddick was lost for words, something that didn’t happen to him very often, but he knew how he felt and it was what it was. “And I’d do anything for you, beastie.”

They fell silent as they neared Vaako’s ship and his men, who lined up on each side of the ramp, facing out, to allow their Lord Marshal and his guests to board first.

They followed Vaako into the control room and Riddick watched with some amusement as Khan came face to face with a Lensor. The augment looked both disgusted and fascinated for a second before he stared down the disfigured creature. Riddick was very curious to know what the Lensor had seen when it scanned Khan. Was he glowing like a sun to the Lensors heat scans? Perhaps he’d ask Vaako to share that information later, as he was sure the Necromonger would be investigating first chance he got.

“Set course for the Basilica,” Vaako ordered and gestured for Riddick and Khan to follow him into his ready room. Once the door closed behind them, Vaako leaned back on his desk and crossed his arms.

“Out with it, Vaako,” Riddick said, reading the man like no time had passed.

Vaako glanced at Khan. “Can your friend be trusted?”

“I trust him with my life. How much do you trust me, Vaako?” The Necromonger stared at him and Riddick sensed that Vaako didn’t so much as trust him as he needed to trust someone. “Never betray me and I’ll never betray you,” Riddick said.

Vaako sighed and uncrossed his arms, letting his hands rest on the edge of his desk instead. “There is some unrest among my commanders, I believe Krone to be the one instigating it.”

“Never liked him,” Riddick said, “and never trust a man who spends so much time on his knees.”

“His faith is not the issue here.” Vaako said, a bit defensive.

“He is not like you, Vaako. To Krone the Necromonger faith is a means to his own ends. He always desired the throne. I don’t see why you kept him this long.”

“I don’t kill my men based on rumors,” Vaako hissed.

“So you want me to do it? Is that it?”

Vaako pushed off the desk and stood straight. “No. We’ll handle Krone and his supporters when the time comes.” His eyes drifted to Khan again and Riddick followed Vaako’s gaze. The augment returned their looks with half-lidded eyes, he looked bored and disinterested, but Riddick sensed that his beastie missed nothing and understood much.

Vaako returned his attention to Riddick. “Something happened when I received your beacon signal that complicated things and your presence will only complicate things more. I need your help, Riddick. I need someone to watch my back without worrying they’ll stick a knife into it and I’ll need your help to untangle this whole situation.”

“You aren’t making much sense, Vaako.”

“I’ll speak more plainly once we’re safely inside the Necropolis. You look like you need some rest and I’ll need your mind clear for this.” He walked around his desk and opened a hidden wall panel. He retrieved a bottle and three glasses. “You enjoyed this, if I remember correctly.” He said holding up the bottle and placing the glasses on the desk.

“Been a while since I’ve had tea,” Riddick said grinning as he claimed the chair in front of the desk. Khan just frowned and remained by the door.

Vaako filled their glasses. “So, how did you two meet?”

“My ship crash-landed on the planet,” Khan said and walked up to the desk. He raised one of the glasses and sniffed at the liquid.

“Ale from Helion Prime,” Vaako said and downed his in one gulp. He refilled his glass and sat on the only other chair in the room.

With a smug expression, that made Riddick grin, Khan raised his knee over the edge of Vaako’s desk and sat. He looked down his nose at the Necromonger as he tasted the ale. “Not bad,” he said, sounding very unimpressed.

Vaako raised an eyebrow. The Necromonger was used to people trembling at the mere mention of Necromongers, and there was Khan, sitting pretty at the edge of his desk, acting superior. “And what? You two just hit it off?” Vaako said his annoyance clear in his tone.

“We had good days and bad days,” Riddick quipped, “and like all my friends he even tried to kill me once.”

“You tend to have that effect,” Vaako murmured into his glass. “I’m surprised it was only once.”

“There’s still time,” Riddick said and rose to remove his furs. After the temperatures of L28 the Necromonger ship felt like the inside of an oven. He looked at Khan, “Why don’t you get more comfortable too, beastie?”

“My shirt is torn, remember?” Khan said and sipped more of his ale. 

Vaako looked undecided for a moment and then stood. “You look about my size,” he said as he moved to another panel and took out a set of black clothes. “These should fit you. You can change in there.” He pointed at a small side door. “There’s also a shower, if you feel like it.”

Khan seemed surprised. He glanced at Riddick, who nodded encouragingly, and accepted the clothes. “Thank you,” he said in a way that was almost a question and walked to the door. It opened to a small, yet luxurious lavatory. Khan hesitated and looked back once before entering. The door closed behind him and Riddick turned his attention to Vaako, he tilted his head slightly in an unspoken question.

“He is wary… this beastie of yours,” Vaako commented.

“Seems to have served him well so far,” Riddick said reclaiming his chair and ale. “Since when are you so generous?”

Vaako shrugged. “You seem rather fond of him and I need you. Is he the reason you activated the beacon?” 

Honesty, something he always appreciated in Vaako. “He is. I promised to help him find his people, or at least information about them.”

“Yet you went into a cave rather than look for your own people. He’s pretty, I’ll give you that, but why leave the solitude you so desired for this boy?”

“I’m as surprised as you are, Vaako.” He looked at his former second in command. They had been friends of sorts, perhaps they would have been real friends if not for the man’s faith and venomous wife. “He is different. The moment I laid eyes on him there was something... Though, it took me a while to really admit to it, I thought it was just a physical thing at first and after Kyra…” 

“Yes, I remember how you moped about after the little breeder girl died.” 

“Watch it, Vaako.” Riddick growled, his anger rising. “She’s the reason we’re all where we are now.”

Vaako inclined his head. “She’s in the Underverse now,” he said respectfully, as much of an apology as the Lord Marshal was willing to give.

Riddick grimaced at the thought of it, though his anger ebbed and he knew Vaako meant well. It was the greatest honor and desire for a Necromonger. “Like I said, it’s different with Khan.”

They drank in silence for a long while, another old habit between them, these long pauses in conversation over a few glasses of ale. It was almost companionable and Riddick was surprised to find that he had missed it. He listened to the faint sound of running water from the other room, he missed that too and couldn’t stop himself from conjuring images of taking a shower with Khan. The water sounds had stopped and Riddick reluctantly pulled away from his imaginings to focus on the now.  
“Oh,” he said, and Vaako looked up from his glass at him, “don’t let him catch you calling him a boy. He might snap you in two.”

“Will he now?” Vaako said, his expression something between amusement and disbelief.

“He almost bested me,” Riddick said, looking Vaako straight in the eyes. He didn’t need to remind Vaako how many times he had kissed the ground when they had sparred. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was Furyan.”

“But you know better? What-”

The door opened and Khan stepped out. Riddick sat up straighter and looked him over. The black Necromonger clothes suited him well, Riddick thought. Showed off his slim, but powerful body and made his eyes somehow seem more piercing than usual. Riddick could see him as an emperor now; even his posture seemed more regal. 

“How was the water?” Riddick asked, taking in the slick, wet hair and that fringe that always had a tendency to escape and fall over his right eye. It still dripped a bit of water and Riddick resisted the urge to just pounce him, Vaako be damned.

“Warm,” Khan said simply but his deep voice made it sound like a satisfied purr.

Riddick chuckled. “Well,” he said getting up, “I think it’s time I did some grooming as well. Vaako, why don’t you show Khan around? It’s not every day someone is inside a Necromonger ship without being forced to convert.” He walked up to Khan, pulled him into a kiss and smacked his ass on his way into the lavatory. “Behave you two.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments would be very welcome. Please let me know what you like or don't like about the story so far it could be helpful or even spark ideas for the next chapters.  
> Also, I'm debating as to who's POV to use for the next chapter. I'm thinking Khan but it's not set in stone yet!
> 
> A big thank you to all that left me Kudos!


	16. Chapter 16

Khan tried not to react when Riddick kissed him and smacked his ass. He was just starting to get used to the big guy’s random displays of affection, he never had time in the past to form such relationships and he didn’t know how to react. The presence of Vaako only added to his discomfort on the matter.

He was aware that Vaako was watching him with interest and more than a little curiosity. He turned to meet the Necromonger’s gaze. Even though there was some palpable tension between them Khan sensed no judgment from the Necromonger, at least not regarding his relationship with Riddick. Still, the man put him on edge, partly because he looked so much like the Enterprise’s doctor.

“I guess we’re having a tour,” Vaako said. “Come with me.” He walked past him to the door. Khan ignored the man’s commanding tone and followed. “Necromonger ships are mostly controlled by the Lesser Quasi-Deads,” the Necromonger explained as they walked down a corridor and into a circular room.

There were four men there, straddling strange devices that loosely reminded Khan of motorcycles, and they even wore something similar to helmets. There were glowing globes at the front of those devices and the men were bending over them, staring into the globes and occasionally running their hands over their surface. Khan approached one for a closer inspection. The man looked starved, sunken cheeks, dark circles under his eyes, deathly pale. As Khan watched, the man moved his hand over the globe and a beam of light shot into his eyes for a few seconds. Khan guessed that this was some sort of navigation device, but he couldn’t figure out how the men operated it.

“These are initiates to the Order of the Quasi-Dead, they perform basic functions to lighten the load of the Lesser Quasi-Dead, as there can be only one Lesser Quasi-Dead on each ship. Except for on the Basilica, where we keep the Greater Quasi-Dead and a few more of the Lesser Quasi-Dead.”

Khan looked at Vaako keeping his expression neutral. He wasn’t sure if these were things a person of this era would know or not but he had a feeling that the Necromonger was testing him. “I’ve never seen a Quasi-Dead,” he said when the Necromonger seemed to be expecting some reaction.

“Not many breeders have,” Vaako admitted. “At least not any that lived to speak of it, except for Riddick, of course.” He turned and walked back the way they came.

“Of course.”

“Have you ever seen any Necromongers before now?” the Lord Marshal asked so casually that Khan was now sure he was being probed about something.

“Can’t say that I have,” He replied evenly, wondering what the Necromonger was after.

“You seemed surprised to see me when we first met. I’d go as far as to say you were angry at me.” The Lord Marshal glanced at him from the corner of his eye. “If you have never been exposed to us before, what was the reason for your anger?”

 _Ah_ , Khan thought, _I know this game_. “You are wondering if my meeting with Riddick was somehow intentional. That perhaps it’s part of an elaborate plan to get to you?” He watched the Necromonger’s face carefully; the crease between his brows told Khan that his hypothesis was probably wrong, the Necromonger hadn’t considered that. “No?” He said smoothly, “Then perhaps it’s your reputation, I imagine Necromongers are not very loved,” he added. 

Vaako glanced at him. “You knew Necromongers were coming, I imagine Riddick warned you about us before he activated the beacon. No, your anger was not because of our reputation, you were surprised to see me.”

Khan kept his face impassive, even feigning boredom. The Necromonger was perceptive, even intelligent and he knew something he didn’t let on. “You just reminded me of someone I used to know,” Khan replied, not seeing any harm in that much truth but Vaako’s quick pace faltered for just a fraction of a second. It was enough for Khan to notice.

“I see,” the Necromonger said and took a turn.

Khan followed, falling back a step as his instincts told him he had miscalculated something and gave Vaako more information than he had indented. What could Vaako possibly know about him though? What could anyone know in this time?

The Necromonger led them back to the room they had entered when they first boarded. The creature that caught his attention before was still there, standing in the exact same spot. Its disfigured face, magnified by the strange lens-like glass of its helmet, turned towards Khan as they entered the room. All that was left of its nose were holes and it was also missing half its lower jaw. Its breathing was heavy and unnatural to Khan’s augmented ears and even its heartbeat seemed off. Every instinct told Khan that he should end the creature’s existence. This thing should not exist.

“Lensor,” Vaako said, next to him.

“What is it exactly?” Khan asked, unable to keep his disgust from coloring his voice.

“They are like scanning devices, only so much more,” Vaako said, walking up to the creature and turning it around to face the window. He removed something from the creature’s back, something that was attached to the creature’s lower spine by a cord, and pressed a switch on the handle. The creature started making odd clicking sounds.

Despite his revulsion, Khan moved closer and looked down at the device. A small circular screen at its center displayed the ships Khan had seen from the planet and mistook for a comet. Vaako pressed the switch again and the image zoomed in, Khan could now see the ships clearly, at least fifty ships in tight formation. Vaako pressed the switch a third time and Khan could see the details on the ships. There was no denying that the Necromonger armada was built to intimidate and conquer everyone it encountered. Khan wondered at the possibilities of such a fleet if it was into augment hands. “Impressive,” he said, “but I’ve seen technology that does that without the need for,” he gestured at the creature’s back, “this.”

“Think of Lensors as scanners on legs, they can go anywhere our warriors go and scan the area. They can detect thermal heat through heavy material such as armor, buildings, even mountain ranges from kilometers away, and that’s just the basics.”

Khan eyed the Necromonger, he almost sounded proud of the creature. “And how did you acquire such a creature?”

Vaako fixed the control back onto the Lensor’s back. It didn’t even seem to notice, just remained as it was. “We create them, from salvageable fallen warriors.”

Khan felt his stomach tighten. “You do this to your own men?” He looked at the creature and felt a thin layer of pity over his feelings of disgust. He couldn’t even imagine doing this to a member of his crew. 

Vaako shrugged. “Their souls already crossed the threshold. What you see here has no will of its own. It is a great honor to serve the faith, even from beyond the threshold.”

Khan searched the man’s eyes and saw that he meant every word. Riddick had been wrong, Vaako wasn’t just a cold and ruthless warrior, he was a religious fanatic and that was dangerous no matter how honorable a man might be. Vaako might share a face with the doctor of the Enterprise but the doctor would’ve been appalled by his double’s beliefs and actions. The thought of the doctor learning of this put a smile on Khan’s lips.

“Did I say something amusing?” Vaako asked tersely.

“No, Lord Marshal. There is nothing amusing about faith,” Khan replied. Faith made men kill each other as much as ambition did, if not more. Khan was sure of one thing; he didn’t want to place his fate into the hands of this man, not if he could help it.

“Though it is overrated,” the baritone voice rolled like thunder over them.

Khan turned and his heart leaped in his chest. The silver eyes that looked back at him, crinkled with amusement, were all that was recognizable at first glance. “Riddick?” He took a step forward and hesitated, looking the man over. He was clean-shaven, both face and head, which made him look years younger. It was like looking at a different man, yet the teasing grin playing at the corners of his mouth was all too familiar. 

“Are there any other Furyans on this ship?” Riddick sauntered over and wrapped an arm around Khan’s waist. He pulled him possessively against him and his reflective eyes shifted to Vaako. “I didn’t bring him here for you to convert, Vaako,” he teased the Necromonger before turning his attention back to Khan and kissing him briefly. “You’re staring, beastie.”

Khan blinked and took a breath. “I almost didn’t recognize you,” he whispered and reached up, feeling the smooth skin of Riddick’s cheek. “You look…”

Riddick raised an eyebrow. “Breathtaking?” He winked.

“Do the two of you need a room?” Vaako asked, sounding half serious half teasing.

Khan came back to himself with a jolt. “No, that won’t be necessary,” he said curtly and stepped back from Riddick, who very reluctantly removed his arm from his waist.

“Are we close?” Riddick asked Vaako and leaned closer to Khan. “You’re blushing,” he whispered in his ear and grinned when Khan gave him a warning glare.

“We’ll be there within the hour,” the Necromonger said.

“Let’s go finish off that bottle then,” Riddick said.

The Necromonger looked at Riddick and nodded. “Why don’t you go ahead,” he told them, “I’ll be there after I check on a few things.”

***

Vaako waited long enough for Riddick and Khan to be safely inside his ready room before he headed to the Lesser Quasi-Dead chamber. He pressed on the secret panel and the altar slowly ejected, the Lesser Quasi-Dead writhing and moaning at being exposed.

“I need to speak to my wife,” Vaako told it.

“Speak,” the Quasi-Dead rasped.

“Are you there?” He said and waited. “Are you there?”

“I’m here,” his wife’s voice came, causing the black liquid to ripple. Communicating through the Quasi-Dead distorted their voices but it seemed like Lady Vaako was also whispering. “Did you find him?”

“I did and he is not alone.”

“What? Who is he with?” The Quasi-Dead contorted and whimpered, they hated emotions and obviously, his wife was upset at this news. 

“A man named Khan. I think he might be connected to the two breeders in our… care.”

There was a long pause. “You think he is who they came here looking for?”

“It’s a possibility. I’m certain the man recognized me or thought he did. When questioned he eventually admitted that I reminded him of someone.”

“The doctor,” his wife’s words came through as a hiss. “Figures that Riddick would somehow be in the middle of this. What is his connection to this man?”

“I believe they are lovers.” There was only silence at that. Even the Quasi-Dead stopped its twitching for a moment. “Are you still there?”

“Of course I’m still here!” She snapped and the Quasi-Dead convulsed. “And you’re still bringing them to the Necropolis?”

“What else am I to do?” He snapped back, his anger rapidly rising. “If he is who those breeders are looking for then he is part of the same problem. Did you learn anything else from them?”

“No, they haven’t been out of their room yet. I did, however, find a few mentions of a Captain Kirk in the Aquilan records. Apparently, he was of some importance during his time. I’ll keep looking.”

“No. We’ll reach the Basilica in about an hour. I’ll need you there to take Khan in hand so I may speak alone with Riddick.”

“What am I supposed to do with this breeder while you speak with Riddick?”

“Don’t question me, Lady Vaako!” he roared, sending the Quasi-Dead into a frenzy. He tried to calm down and grinned as a thought occurred to him. “Take him on a tour of the Basilica, and keep him away from the other breeders.”

“A tour?” she asked, managing to sound incredulous even through the telepathic link. “Is that wise? There have been rumors, whispers. I felt watched when I ventured outside our quarters today… I’m not sure that’s safe.”

“Krone?”

“I believe he’s planning something and soon. I caught sight of at least one of his minions lurking inside the Necropolis.”

“Bring four of our most trusted guards with you, leave just as many outside our door to guard the breeders.”

“I hear voices,” she whispered. “I think the breeders ventured into the main room.”

“Very well, go deal with them but then do as I say. You have an hour.” He pressed the panel and waited until the Quasi-Dead was securely back into its navigation alcove.

He took a deep breath and a moment to collect his thoughts. He needed Riddick on his side if he was going to survive this and somehow prevent the timeline from changing. Krone had been planting seeds among his followers for years but nothing had really taken root. The few assassination attempts had been feeble and easily crushed but the arrival of the time-traveling breeders added new fuel to Krone’s cause. Vaako knew that Krone would use this as a sign from the gods that Vaako was not the rightful Lord Marshal, just as he had preached in secret for years.

But would Riddick help him if it meant losing Khan?

***

As soon as the door closed Riddick pinned Khan against the wall. The smaller man gave a startled hum as Riddick’s mouth claimed his but he soon relaxed into it. Riddick rubbed his body against Khan’s and broke the kiss to follow along the younger man’s jaw-line and down his neck. Khan tilted his head back, giving him free access as his hands came up to explore Riddick’s shaved head.

Riddick pulled back with an amused chuckle. “So, you approve?”

Khan’s eyes roamed over his face. “If I knew you were this handsome I would have shaven you myself while you were passed out.” He grinned.

“Hey,” Riddick protested, playfully thrusting his hips. “Are you saying you thought I was ugly before?”

Khan smiled and Riddick would do anything to see that smile more often. 

“No,” the younger man said. “Not ugly, just more… Cro-Magnon.”

“Cro-Magnon?”

“Early human’s who lived in caves.” The smile widened and the dimples appeared.

Riddick growled playfully and kissed him again, reaching behind the slim body to squeeze that perfectly round, firm ass. He was thinking about how he should have accepted Vaako’s offer of a room when Khan pushed him gently back. He looked at the younger man’s face and saw worry replace the amusement and lust. “What’s wrong?”

“Vaako,”

“I wouldn’t worry about it. Necromongers are uptight but they are downright sexmongers too.”

Khan frowned, looking confused for a moment. “Oh, no, not that,” he said and pushed off the wall, guiding Riddick to the chair.

Riddick sat down and to his delight, Khan sat on his lap as if it was the most natural thing to do. He wrapped an arm around the slim waist. “Then what?”

“Is it possible that he knows about me? About where I came from? Did you tell him something?”

Riddick shook his head. “No. Why? Did he say something?”

“He was very insistent to know why I seemed surprised when I first saw him and when I told him that he reminded me of someone, he almost seemed upset.”

Riddick harrumphed. “He didn’t bring that up with me.” What was Vaako up to? Riddick thought, feeling annoyed that he would try to interrogate Khan behind his back. He pulled Khan closer to him. “I’ll deal with Vaako,” he told him. “Don’t worry.”

Khan raised an eyebrow. “Do I look like a damsel in distress to you? I only told you so you’ll be careful.”

Riddick opened his mouth to respond at the same moment the door opened and Vaako strode in. The Necromonger paused upon seeing Khan sitting on Riddick’s lap.

“Bad time?” He asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a filler chapter while I work on the first meeting with all the characters finally together. They will all come together in the next couple of updates. :)  
> Any suggestions on who's POV you'd like to read for the big meeting?  
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated! As this is my first story I'm open to constructive criticism :) 
> 
> A big thank you to LiteraryHedonism for beta-reading this chapter and for their valuable insight! You rock!


	17. Chapter 17

Khan followed Riddick and Vaako down the frigate’s ramp and into a vast hangar area. There were hundreds of ships there, stationed along each side of the hangar. Frigates, slick ships that could only be fighters, hulking transport ships - an impressive fleet inside the belly of an already impressive fleet.

Khan examined his surroundings carefully, committing to memory everything he saw. He paid special attention to the smaller ships, wondering if those too were piloted by what Vaako called Lesser Quasi-dead, when his eyes fell on something more familiar peeking out from behind a bulky ship. It was far off in the distance and any normal human eyes would’ve missed it, but next to the Necromonger ships, its light colors stood out like a sore thumb to Khan’s augmented eyes. He quickly schooled his expression back to neutral as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing.

Vaako took a turn, leading them away from the object of Khan’s interest. Khan waited a few seconds and glanced back, feigning casual interest in a ship flying overhead, before looking in the direction that really interested him. The angle was better now and that was definitely the rear-end of a Federation shuttle. He returned his gaze ahead and fixed it on Vaako’s stiff back.

The pieces were finally starting to fall into place and he could barely contain the manic grin that threatened to spread across his face. _I know what game we’re playing now, Lord Marshal,_ he thought. _The man you remind me of is here, isn’t he? And who else is here with the good doctor?_ He hoped one of them was the Vulcan, he would enjoy tearing his pointy ears off and feeding them to him. As his anger rose he felt something stirring inside his chest and a pin pricks sensation on his skin just above the heart. Riddick turned and frowned at him, his eyes shifting between Khan and the guards as if looking for danger.

Khan reined in his anger and lengthened his stride to fall in next to Riddick. The big guy met his eyes and raised a questioning eyebrow, somehow sensing Khan’s agitation through this bond they now had. Khan made sure Vaako wasn’t looking and shifted his eyes, silently signaling Riddick to take a look behind them. He was proud of the big guy when he didn’t react right away. Instead he waited until they paused at a door and Vaako began entering a code.

As they waited Riddick turned around and scanned the hangar. “I nearly forgot how big this damn ship is,” he said. “Wait until you see the Necropolis, beastie. It’s a whole city, right here, inside the Basilica.”

Khan would have missed the slight nod if he wasn’t looking for some sign that Riddick had spotted the shuttle. “Don’t many deep-space ships have large living quarters?” Khan asked, keeping his tone mildly interested.

“Not like the Necropolis,” Vaako cut in, ignorant of his guests covert information swap. “The Necropolis is our center of worship, the heart of the Necromonger faith,” he added and walked through the door.

Khan exchanged a glance with Riddick as they followed after the Lord Marshal and down a long, narrow corridor.

“It is also the throne room and residence of the Lord Marshals,” Vaako went on. “Despite its size only a few selected others may reside there. Covu the Transcended and first Lord Marshal built the Necropolis on the tallest mountain of Asylum, our home planet. Nephemil, the third Lord Marshal ordered the Necropolis to be unearthed and entombed inside the Basilica, rather than leave our most holy capital behind.”

“Ah,” Khan said. “So it’s an actual city.” He was impressed, despite his preoccupation with his recent discovery. The lengths people went to for their faith always perplexed and amused him.

“I will ask my wife to give you a tour while Riddick and I catch up,” Vaako said and looked at Khan for the first time since this discussion started.

Khan tilted his head. That was too close to being an order. Vaako certainly didn’t leave him much of an opening to gracefully refuse without seeming distrustful or, at the least, a discourteous guest. He didn’t like being dismissed but he was certain the Necromonger had no plans to harm him or Riddick, yet. Vaako still thought he had the element of surprise over them but perhaps he would be more willing to share information with Riddick if Khan wasn’t there. Vaako didn’t trust him, and he didn’t trust the Necromonger, but it seemed that they both trusted Riddick on some level or another.

“I’d prefer that he stayed with me,” Riddick said, his voice lowering a register.

“No, it’s fine,” Khan said. “I would be very interested in a tour.” Knowing the layout of the place could prove helpful and he wanted to learn more about these Necromongers. Riddick seemed worried and a bit annoyed but he didn’t contradict him.

They reached another door and Vaako entered the same code. _Not big on security,_ Khan thought. _Or they have few reasons to worry._ They emerged into a massive hall and Khan had to pause to take it all in.

“Welcome to Necropolis,” Vaako said a bit smugly and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly when their eyes met.

“I was expecting big, but not this,” Khan admitted, looking up at the pair of massive statues and the ships flying overhead. Necromongers, who were dressed much as he was now, went about their business or loitered in small groups, creating a subdued buzz of activity and hushed voices. He studied the Necromongers closest to them, the dull eyes, pale skin, and lack of any emotion animating their faces. He hadn’t noticed it before when they were among Vaako and his warriors, perhaps because he expected warriors to be cold, but these people looked dead inside. His eyes then fell on someone different walking towards them.

The woman wore a golden dress with bronze snake patterns. Her walk was animated, provocative even, and she held her head high unlike the other women around her. Her dark eyes were fixed on them as she made her way through the crowd, flanked by four large Necromonger warriors.

“The Lord Marshal’s wife,” Riddick informed him. “Dame Vaako, as kin to a snake as any woman can be.”

“Its _Lady_ Snake Vaako now,” Vaako muttered without much humor.

Khan watched the woman approach. The sway of her hips, the confidence in her gait. It made him smile. “I quite like snakes,” he said, earning skeptical glances from both men.

“Riddick,” she said coldly, as she moved in to claim her husband’s arm. “Welcome back.”

“If only everyone was as happy to see me as you are, Lady Vaako,” Riddick responded, an amused smile playing on his lips.

“Yes,” she said, trying to look down her nose at the big guy, though her height didn’t help. “It is hard to contain all this joy.” Her eyes shifted to Khan and a forced smile turned up the corners of her mouth. “Who is your handsome friend?”

“This is Khan,” Vaako said, “Why don’t you show him around the Necropolis while Riddick and I talk?”

“It would be my pleasure,” she said smoothly and relinquished her husband’s arm to adorn herself on Khan’s.

Khan looked down at the delicate hands wrapped around his bicep and then at the beautiful face. She tilted her head back and smiled brightly up at him as their eyes met. Her smile started to falter under his icy scrutiny and Khan chose that moment to grin at her. He could hear her heart speed up and felt a slight tremble in the hands on his arm. He very deliberately covered one of her hands with his own. “Shall we?” he asked her gently, dropping his voice to a low timber.

He noticed Vaako’s uneasy shift, the man probably reconsidering in that moment the wisdom of letting Khan out of his sight. It was obvious to Khan that this moment had been staged beforehand to get him out of the way. He saw no reason to make it comfortable for them. An enemy on edge always made mistakes. He met the Necromonger’s eyes with a cold smile before turning and leading his wife away.

***

Riddick watched, both impressed and amused, as Khan led Lady Vaako away. In all the years he had spent among the Necromongers he’d never seen the woman so flustered before. Even the guards hesitated a moment before following after them. It seemed that Khan didn’t just like snakes but he knew how to handle them too.

“Well, Vaako,” he said, drawing Vaako’s eyes away from the retreating pair. “You got what you wanted. Let’s talk.”

Vaako nodded and motioned for Riddick to follow him. He wasn’t heading for his private rooms though. Instead, once they climbed the stairs, he led them into the Lord Marshal’s ready room. Riddick looked around the familiar room. He had spent many hours in here, away from his supposed advisors and scheming concubines, studying maps and wondering what to do next. He walked up to the three dimensional map and activated it. An unknown planet emerged from the dark, tar-like liquid and Riddick waved his hand. The planet moved in an arc to sink back into the liquid as another emerged in its place.

“Your latest purification?” he asked, as he heard Vaako walking up to him.

“Our next one, actually,” the Necromonger said calmly, moving to stand on the other side of the map. “We were headed there when we received your beacon.” He waved his hand, returning the map back to the original planet.

“And did you transcend, Vaako?”

Their eyes met over the hovering planet simulation and Riddick saw something he never expected to see in Vaako’s eyes - fear and doubt. 

“Not yet,” Vaako said and averted his eyes, moving away from the map. Riddick waited, watching, as the man walked to the large viewport to stare at the stars before he spoke again. “I didn’t feel ready to cross the threshold.”

“You seemed eager enough, when you agreed to take my place,” Riddick said, though he was glad that Vaako wasn’t a half-dead, astral-projecting freak… yet.

Vaako turned to face him again, his expression one of impatience. “We’re not here to talk about me.”

“No, you want to talk about Khan.”

“How much do you know about the man?”

“This is not how we’re going to do this, Vaako,” Riddick growled. “You first.”

Vaako seemed taken aback. It’s probably been a while since anyone defied him openly but he needed to be reminded that Riddick wasn’t one of his pawns.

“I know where your boy is from, or should I say when he’s from?” Vaako growled back.

“That makes two of us,” Riddick said.

Vaako hesitated. “Then… you know he’s from the past?”

“That and more, he’s told me a few things about his life before. What do you know about the ones you have here?”

Vaako’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You know… how?”

“Khan spotted their ship in your hangar and you weren’t as subtle as you thought when you interrogated him behind my back. We’ve always been honest with each other, Vaako, I suggest you keep it that way.”

“He saw the ship?” Vaako asked, glancing at the door.

“Lady Vaako is safe,” Riddick said calmly. “He won’t harm her, unless you try something.” He chuckled darkly at Vaako’s expression. “I didn’t think you cared,” he added and moved to one of the sofas. He sat and stretched his legs, crossing them at the ankles.

Vaako made a face. “Well, she is my wife.” He looked at Riddick and seemed to make up his mind. He crossed the room and claimed the sofa across from him. “Since its honesty you want, here it is. I’m not after you or your boy, Riddick. When you activated the beacon my intention was only to assist you, but our path crossed with two humans who turned out to be from the past. The ones whose ship you saw. That’s when I thought to enlist your help as well. I didn’t expect to find another one of them with you.”

“Since when do you need my help to deal with humans? Convert or kill, isn’t that the Necromonger way?”

Vaako nodded. “Except that these humans are from Earth and far enough in the past that their presence here could disrupt the timeline in ways that could be catastrophic for all of us.”

Riddick raised an eyebrow. “How?”

“You don’t know?” Vaako exclaimed. “Earth is the planet of origin, for all of us. If its history is altered it affects us all.”

“So, you’re saying that we all, not just humans but Necromongers, Furyans and so on, originate from this planet?”

“Yes. Those two men, and your Khan, could very well be our ancestors, or the ancestors of someone who influenced the events that shaped our world as we know it today.”

Riddick laughed. “That’s a bit far fetched, Vaako.”

Vaako’s expression darkened. “We already found some evidence that the two in my custody might be important to our history.”

“How important?”

“I’m not sure yet, I need more information, but important enough for their names to be in the Aquilan records. I sent a ship to fetch the Elemental, Aereon, and I’ll keep looking through the Aquilan records for more. The breeders have been tight lipped so far but they might be ready to talk now. Perhaps your boy… Khan, can shed some light on this as well.”

“This really has you worried if you’re bringing Aereon here.”

Vaako raised both eyebrows. “Considering we might all blink out of existence if we take the wrong course of action, yes it does.”

Riddick remained silent, digesting what Vaako had said, and the Necromonger patiently gave him the time. Logically, if these men were from the past and their being here could alter things in the way Vaako feared… it all depended on if they were meant to disappear from their own time, so being here was where they were supposed to be, or if they were meant to go back. Then there was Khan. What would he do if Khan had to be sent back? What would Khan himself do? Or Vaako for that matter? His head was starting to hurt.

“So, you’re trying to figure out if you should, somehow, send them back or not?” He leaned forward and eyed Vaako. “Last time I checked, Necromongers couldn’t time travel.”

“We can’t but these men can and they came here, I’m assuming, looking for your boy. They said as much.”

Riddick shook his head. No wonder Khan hated these people, even flung centuries into the future they still came after him. It took head-hunting to a whole new level. 

“I’m not handing Khan over to them, Vaako, and that’s final.”

Vaako frowned. “Hand him over? Are they here hunting him then?”

“It would seem so.”

Vaako sighed. “This complicates things even further. So Khan escaped them by coming to our time?”

“No, Khan got here by accident. Is the technology for time travel in their ship?”

Vaako scoffed. “Do you think me an idiot? I checked but there was nothing, at least nothing we can figure out.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t want technology like that in Necromonger hands. No offence.” He rose before Vaako could speak again. “Enough games, Vaako. I want to meet them, bring them here and have your wife bring Khan as well.”

Vaako stood as well. “Is that wise? Putting them in the same room?”

“You want to get to the bottom of this? Then no more games, no more hiding, no more holding back information, we deal with all of it. Now.”

Vaako frowned, not happy at being ordered around by his former Lord Marshal, but he walked to the door anyway and called one of the guards. “Bring the two breeders from my private quarters here, and have someone inform my wife that she’s to come here with our other guest as well.” Orders given he turned back to Riddick. “I hope you can control that beastie of yours, Riddick. I won’t allow him to harm those breeders and risk us all.”

Riddick sighed. “Don’t worry, I have a feeling Khan will care more about information than harming them. They have something he wants.”

“And what’s that?”

“His family.” Riddick said and sat back down.

***

Leonard felt a bit cornered in as he followed the two guards in front of them, with Jim close at his side and two more guards flanking them. They were led from the Lord Marshal’s private quarters to an area above and behind the throne. The guards halted a good distance from an open door at the center and motioned them to go ahead. Jim glanced at him and took the lead, heading for the door. The room on the other side was dimly lit and Jim came to an abrupt stop just inside the threshold. When he slowly moved to the side, Leonard saw why. There was an animal inside the room, he could see its glowing eyes in the dark, but when he squinted for a better look he realized it was man shaped.

Outlined against the brightness of the stars from the viewport behind him, the man’s features were obscured by shadows but his eyes reflected light like a cat’s. He had both of his extremely muscular arms flung over the back of the sofa he occupied and his legs stretched out before him. The pinpoints of light flicked from Jim’s direction to Leonard’s as he entered and halted next to his friend.

“Don’t just stand there,” Vaako’s voice made them jump. They hadn’t even noticed the Lord Marshal, who was standing off to the side, looking grim. “Come in.”

Jim moved first and Leonard followed, they were to about the center of the room when a deep, baritone laughter, that would have the devil diving for cover, erupted from the man on the sofa. Both Jim and Leonard froze as the man stood, still laughing, and stalked towards them. _The man is built like a damn shuttle,_ Leonard thought.

“I see now why you’re so skittish, Vaako,” The man boomed through his laughter and came straight for Leonard, stopping just a few feet away from him with a wide, full of teeth, grin on his face. “I knew there would be similarities,” he said, waving a large hand in Leonard’s direction, “But this…” He turned his head to the side, not quite looking at the Lord Marshal, who only glared at the man’s back.

Jim, ever the daredevil, chose that moment to move forward, placing himself between Leonard and the big man. Leonard didn’t know if he should be thankful or smack Jim upside the head as the big man slowly turned his head to fix his mercury-like eyes on the captain.

“James T. Kirk,” Jim said in a surprisingly steady voice and held out his hand.

The reflective eyes dropped down to the offered hand and then back up at the captain’s face as the man’s hand engulfed Jim’s.

“Richard B. Riddick,” he said almost sarcastically and grinned.

His eyes flicked to Leonard so fast that he nearly jumped. “Leonard McCoy, doctor!” Leonard said and mentally kicked himself for sounding like he was reporting to a commanding officer.

Riddick nodded and let go of Jim’s hand, who discreetly flexed his fingers as the big man turned away to reclaim his seat at the sofa.

 _So, this is the former Lord Marshal,_ Leonard thought. _Yeah, I can see him having a harem… and anything else he damn pleases._

Riddick sat down with what sounded like a growl and stretched out the way he was when they first entered. He jerked his head, showing them the sofa across from his.

“Vaako told me why I’m here,” Riddick purred as they sat down. “Now tell me why you’re here.”

Vaako finally moved from his brooding spot and walked over to join them. He perched at the edge of the sofa next to Riddick and rested his elbows on his knees, waiting.

Jim cleared his throat. “From the beginning then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halfway there! As always I'm open to comments, constructive criticism or just saying hello :) Everything helps! 
> 
> A big thank you to LiteraryHedonism for beta-reading this chapter and for their valuable insight! 
> 
> Also thank you to BlackThorneXXX for the inspiration! ;)
> 
> And of course, thank you to all who left me kudos!


	18. Chapter 18

“From the beginning then,” Jim said and bowed his head for a moment to gather his thoughts.

Bones and he had already decided that going with the truth was their best option, as long as they kept the coordinates of where the next wormhole would appear a secret, at least for now. 

“About a year ago a shuttle that was transporting a prisoner to a specialized facility in space disappeared along with the two pilots and the prisoner. After extensive investigations, Starfleet determined that the shuttle encountered a rare phenomenon that brought them to your time. Time travel isn’t something that we do. It took us a long time to find a way to create a stable artificial wormhole.” He half huffed half laughed. “Though now that I think about it, it wasn’t all that successful, was it? We were supposed to appear here only moments after the first shuttle but instead, we appeared in front of your armada,” he looked at Vaako. “The probes we sent through didn’t detect any others in the area, so we concluded that it would be an in and out mission with negligible interference to the timeline, if any.”

“What were your probes scanning for?” Vaako asked him.

“Um… Telemetry of the area, transmissions, and life signs, mostly.”

Vaako nodded. “That’s why you didn’t detect us. Necromongers have means of communication that don’t require any form of transmissions and our life signs are also undetectable.”

“I see,” Jim said, at least that was one mystery solved. “The first probe did detect a distress signal from the missing shuttle. The rest of our probes though didn’t receive anything, so we tried to match the time and coordinates of the first probe when we came through. You never encountered the first shuttle though? Or any signs of it?”

Vaako glanced at Riddick and whatever passed between them made Jim suspicious of how honest their hosts would be with them.

“No,” Vaako said. “We didn’t. We were just passing through the area we found you in so it’s possible that the first shuttle was ahead of us.”

“All this,” Riddick rumbled, “just to find three missing people?”

Jim tried to keep his expression neutral. Something was held back from them but he could not just come out and accuse them of dishonesty. He could only offer truth and hope that eventually they would offer it back. “The Federation values all life. We would never abandon our people. We had to at least try.”

“And how much is the prisoner’s life worth to you?” Riddick growled, abandoning his nonchalant posture to lean forward and pin Jim with those unsettling eyes of his. “What’s the bounty on his head?”

“Bounty?” Jim said at the same moment Bones did. His friend sounded equally confused.

“How much will you get if you take him back?” Riddick asked, his gaze becoming even more intense.

“I think he means money, Jim,” Bones whispered as he leaned closer to him.

Jim blinked. “We have no use for currency. Our world, the Federation, has moved beyond the need for wealth accumulation. We only seek to better ourselves and the world. We are explorers, scientists, we are peaceful people. We would never profit from something like that, we only imprison people when it’s absolutely necessary.”

Riddick frowned and eyed them suspiciously. “What did this man do to become a prisoner in your perfect world then?”

Memories of Marcus’s skull being crushed and Carol’s scream overflowed his mind for a moment. “That’s a long story,” he breathed.

“I’ve got time,” Riddick said, leaning back, his eyes glowing again as a shadow cast over his face.

Why was the big guy so interested in their prisoner? Jim wondered but answered anyway. “Our world is not perfect,” he began, meeting Riddick’s eyes with determination. “We make mistakes and there are still men with greed for power if not wealth. One such man used Khan, that’s the prisoner’s name, for his own purposes without the knowledge of Starfleet or the Federation. Khan escaped him and retaliated but he took his vengeance not only on the man who wronged him but all of Starfleet.”

He saw Pike again, dead with Spock kneeling next to him unable to help him, people screaming and sirens wailing. He felt Bones’s hand on his shoulder and realized he was shaking. Worry and sadness were written plainly on his friend’s face and he knew that Bones understood what was going through his mind. He nodded to let Bones take over while he gathered himself.

“Someone he cared for deeply died when Khan opened fire on a room full of innocent men and women,” Bones explained. “Khan’s target was there too but he survived, that time. Khan escaped again, this time to an enemy planet, and Captain Kirk and his crew, myself included, were sent after him by Admiral Marcus. That was the man who had held Khan prisoner but we were not aware of that at the time. We only knew that Khan had blown up a building in London, killing forty-two people, and then attacked again when a meeting of high ranking officers took place to discuss the first attack. We thought we were dealing with a crazed terrorist, turns out we were only half right.”

“Half right?” Riddick asked.

“When you poke the bear you get the claws,” Bones said, making a face. “Khan is a terrorist by his actions but it was Marcus that set him on that path.”

“What did Marcus do to him?” Riddick pressed. Clearly, he would not let this rest until he had the whole story.

Jim took a shaky breath. “We only recently discovered the whole truth.” He sat up and squared his shoulders. “Marcus was the head of an autonomous intelligence and defense organization designated section 31, posing as a secret branch of Starfleet. They were supposed to develop defense technology and gather intelligence on known enemies of the Federation.”

“But they were doing more than that,” Riddick guessed.

Jim nodded. “More and as it turns out, detrimental. They were trying to start a war, not prevent it. That’s where Khan came in. Marcus held Khan’s crew as hostages to force his cooperation and, as we recently found out, he even murdered twelve of them trying to make it seem as if their cryostasis units had malfunctioned, but in truth, it was punishment for Khan.” He took a deep breath, suppressing the anger he felt for Marcus and what his arrogance had caused them. “I’m not saying Khan is a good guy, his past might be proof that he’s not, but he was wronged by a member of the Federation… even if that member was a corrupted one. Khan knew Marcus was a high ranking officer of Starfleet so I guess he assumed that was how Starfleet operated.” He hesitated as shame filled him next but pushed on. “I hate to admit it but I can understand why Khan acted the way he did. When he killed my friend and mentor I was ready to follow Marcus’s instructions, break the Federation’s rules and kill Khan in cold blood. I was so angry that all I wanted was vengeance, I didn’t care about the law or justice… and that was one loss, no matter how dear to me, when Khan had twelve confirmed and thought the rest of his crew were probably killed after his escape. It was my own crew that made me see how wrong I was and instead of killing Khan we captured him and unraveled Marcus’s plot in the process. Khan’s crew was in the torpedoes Marcus had supplied us with to kill Khan. Marcus hoped that I would use them to kill Khan, along with his crew, from orbit and start a war in the process.”

“That’s when it all really went to hell,” Bones cut in. “Marcus came after us, demanding that we hand over Khan so he could kill him himself. We refused and Marcus nearly destroyed our ship. Many people died.”

“So, I asked for Khan’s help,” Jim picked up. “A member of my crew who had snuck onboard Marcus’s ship had sabotaged his weapons, giving Khan and me enough time to find a way onto Marcus’s ship and capture the bridge. I didn’t trust Khan though, so I had my crew member stun him once we had the bridge secured. Khan recovered faster than we anticipated though and incapacitated us… he… he killed Marcus.” He shivered at the memory of Marcus skull caving in between Khan’s hands and lowered his head to massage his temples. The memories were still fresh, even after six years. 

“Khan killed him in front of his daughter, took over Marcus ship and then tried to destroy our ship,” Bones said. “Yeah, you might think he had his reasons but that man is cold, he can be a monster.”

Jim looked up at Riddick about to explain further when he noticed the big man’s eyes shift to somewhere over their shoulders.

“If I’m a monster,” the voice that haunted his nightmares for years said from behind them, “then humanity is my doctor Frankenstein.”

***

Riddick saw Khan walk up to the sofa just as McCoy called him a monster. Their eyes met but instead of anger, Riddick sensed some uncertainty coming from Khan.

“If I’m a monster,” Khan said, his eyes fixed on Riddick as he halted a few steps behind the sofa his two accusers sat on, “then humanity is my doctor Frankenstein.”

Riddick had no clue who this doctor Frankenstein was but he understood Khan’s meaning. The beastie was asking him if he was still with him and Riddick wondered what else was to be revealed today. He said nothing as Kirk and McCoy finally got over their shock enough to slowly stand and turn to face Khan, their faces matching masks of horror.

“Khan…” McCoy whispered.

Khan blinked slowly as he turned his head to look at them with cold eyes. “Doctor,” he said almost politely, even going as far as to slightly incline his head at the man. “ _Captain,_ ” this with just a touch of sarcasm.

Kirk backed away from Khan, pulling the doctor protectively behind him. He threw an accusatory glance at Vaako. “You said you never found the other shuttle.”

Riddick remained as he was, appearing relaxed but ready to jump into action if needed. Vaako glanced at him and remained seated as well, though obviously uncomfortable with doing nothing.

“He didn’t,” Riddick said calmly. “I found the other shuttle.”

Kirk’s head jerked in his direction, his eyes wild with confusion and fear, the boy was close to a fight or flight response. “This man can’t be trusted!” he said, voice raised and finger pointed at Khan.

“Jim,” McCoy said, placing a hand on the man’s arm. “Calm down.”

Khan had that apathetic look Riddick remembered from their early days but he could almost feel the storm raging inside through their bond. Khan was not calm, he was dangerously cold.

“As I recall,” Khan said, his voice a gentle purr. “I saved your life twice, Captain.” His eyes shifted to McCoy. “Thrice, if you count my unwilling contribution through your doctor.”

“You tried to destroy my ship and kill everyone on board!” Kirk snapped, his face turning red with anger.

 _At least he settled on an emotion_ , Riddick thought.

“You crashed a mile-long ship onto a city full of innocent civilians, killing hundreds of thousands!”

Khan tilted his head. “I was aiming for Starfleet Headquarters,” he said calmly, not denying anything, “that happened after you shot me in the back the first chance you got and after your Vulcan friend led me to believe he had murdered my whole crew… What did you expect, Captain? Mercy?”

Riddick felt a chill. Hundreds of thousands, that was sure to include a great number of children and women… He watched Khan more carefully but all he could see and sense was the anger. It burned so hot there was no room for anything else.

“We both know you would’ve betrayed us anyway,” Kirk hissed.

Khan nodded. “Yes, I would have… I would have killed Marcus either way… but I would have let your ship and crew go and taken Vengeance and my crew far, far from Earth.”

Riddick felt a sliver of sympathy as Kirk’s anger dissolved into doubt. The young man searched Khan’s eyes for a moment and his doubt turned to suspicion. Riddick too had to wonder if Khan would have shown mercy if things had gone just a bit differently.

“And I’m supposed to believe that?” Kirk spat.

“Jim,” McCoy warned, his hand still firmly around his captain’s arm, “stop poking the damn bear.”

It was obvious to Riddick now that Kirk made his decisions based on his emotions. His doctor knew it and worst for Kirk, Khan knew it too and Khan could make Crematoria freeze over with a glance. Riddick could no longer feel anything from him. It was as if Khan had flipped a switch on his emotions as his focus was zeroing in on Kirk.

“Believe what you will, _Captain_ ,” Khan said, “it makes no difference to me, but tell me…” He looked Kirk up and down. “I’m surprised not to see your…” He made a vague gesture at his left ear, “pointy-eared friend with you, why is that?”

The question threw Kirk off balance. “Spock… has other duties,” he said tightly.

“Ah,” Khan said raising his eyebrows and placing his hands behind his back, palm in palm, chest out, and shoulders back. At that moment he was the manifestation of arrogance. He took a few steps as if considering something, his eyes roaming the room but not really seeing it. With a sudden jolt of clarity, Riddick realized that Khan had everyone in the room spellbound, waiting for his next words. “The Vulcan is your way back,” Khan finally said. “He is waiting for the agreed moment to open a rift in time and space for you to pass through. You probably agreed on a few timeframes in case you missed the first one. Yes?” He chuckled softly when Kirk’s mouth opened and closed without a sound. “You didn’t calculate the possibility that I’d be awake though, have you?”

“We _were_ hoping for a Khan popsicle,” McCoy quipped from behind Kirk’s shoulder. “But Khan listen-”

Khan’s expression changed from calm to menacing so fast that even Riddick tensed. It was then that the bond came back as if a floodgate had been smashed open and Riddick felt the mark on his chest burning with Khan’s anger.  
“What are the coordinates, Captain?” Khan growled. “Where is my crew?”

“We can’t tell you that,” Kirk said, his voice just a bit shaky. “Not until you _listen_.”

Everyone was moving then. With a growl, Khan advanced on Kirk while McCoy was trying to pull Kirk back. Kirk raised his arms to defend himself and Vaako leaped up reaching for his gun, his eyes fixed on Khan.

“Enough!” Riddick roared and everyone froze. “Khan! Back away from them.”

Khan glared daggers and him and his upper lip rose into a teeth showing snarl. Riddick growled loudly and slowly rose to his feet, holding Khan’s eyes with his own, willing him to back down. “I said enough,” he growled again, this time directly at Khan and as he did he felt the mark on his chest pulsing.

Khan blinked, staggered half a step, and looked at him with barely concealed shock. Riddick had no idea what had just happened but if it meant preventing a damn bloodbath, so be it. He walked up to Khan and tried to touch his arm but Khan stepped back. “I believe that’s enough for today, Vaako,” Riddick said, not taking his eyes off Khan’s.

“I believe so too,” Vaako said, his voice tight.

“Then take your guests to their rooms, now,” he suggested firmly, very deliberately placing himself between them and Khan, still not breaking eye contact. Once Vaako and the others were clear he looked more softly at Khan. “Are you with me, beastie?”

“Are you?” Khan hissed between clenched teeth.

“I’ll always be with you, Khan, never doubt that.” He reached out again and this time Khan didn’t back away, though he was still very taut. Riddick took hold of his shoulders, gently rubbing the tight muscles with his thumbs. “Vaako had a gravity gun and guards just outside that door. If you had attacked those men it would be us against the whole damn Necromonger army. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Khan only stared, his eyes still cold, and Riddick knew that he was fighting an inner war. He had heard of this before but wasn’t sure the first time it happened during their fight in the shuttle. Khan was very possibly a berserker, going into a trance-like fury that he couldn’t control, and Riddick had somehow forced him to back down through the bond. Khan was still raging inside and probably wondering if he could still trust him. Gently, Riddick lowered his hands and took Khan’s hands in his own, raising them to his chest. “Khan,” he said very softly. “Are you with me?”

Khan blinked, once, twice, and then Riddick felt warmth spreading through his chest and Khan’s tension melting away. “I’m with you,” Khan whispered and bowed his head but not before Riddick saw his eyes watering.

Riddick let go of Khan’s hands and pulled him to his chest, wrapping his arms around him. “Ah, beastie, we really need to talk about this short fuse of yours.”

Khan didn’t reply but wrapped his arms around Riddick too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone in the same room, finally :)
> 
> As always, comments would be very welcome and appreciated. 
> 
> A big thank you to LiteraryHedonism for beta-reading this chapter and for their valuable insight!
> 
> And of course, thank you to all who left me comments/kudos! They really do help keep me inspired and writing ^^


	19. Chapter 19

Vaako led the two breeders to their assigned room and then went looking for his wife. Lady Vaako was nowhere inside their private quarters and that worried him a bit. It was unusual for her not to take every chance to stick her nose into his business.

He poured himself a glass of wine and drank half of it in one gulp. He was fuming. Allowing the breeders to meet had been a bad idea. Kirk and McCoy had seemed willing enough to talk, but now, after what happened with Khan, Vaako was no longer sure they’d ever trust them again. He could try to get the information from Khan himself but he didn’t trust the man. Khan was a wildcard and Vaako was sure that Riddick’s pet would try and manipulate them all if it meant getting what he wanted.

He felt the familiar, cold touch of the Quasi-Dead on his mind. He put the glass of wine down and walked to the communion room to find that the Quasi-Dead had already ejected itself from its alcove. Vaako could hear Toal’s voice inquiring if he was there.

“I’m here, first commander Toal,” Vaako said once he was standing over the Quasi-Dead. “Report.”

“Lord Marshal,” Toal greeted him, “we have located the Elemental and explained the situation to her as per your orders but she has refused to come aboard our ship. She insisted on using her own ship, my Lord. She is on her way to you now.”

Vaako frowned, how had they found her so quickly and most importantly... “Are you not escorting her ship, commander?”

“We tried my Lord. Her ship, however, is a lot faster than ours. We were unable to keep up.” 

Vaako felt some hesitation from the commander. “What is it, Toal?”

“She had a message for you, my Lord.”

Vaako was losing what little patience he had left. “Relay it then,” he snapped, causing the Quasi-Dead to whimper.

“She said… you should take no further action until she gets there, you have already done enough damage.”

Vaako raised an eyebrow, he knew Aereon was bold but this was close to insolence. “I see,” he said with just a hint of annoyance. “One question, first commander, how did you find her so quickly?”

Another pause. “She was already on her way to find us, my Lord.”

Elementals, no wonder everyone thought they were all spies and witches, they always seemed to know too much. “How far out are you? How soon can I expect her arrival?”

“We are four days out, my Lord, but judging by the speed of her ship… you should expect her in two days at the latest.”

Four days out? Vaako thought, surprised. That could only mean that Aereon was on her way to meet them before they had even found the breeders. Toal hadn’t located her, she had located them.

“Commander, get here as quick as you can and speak to no one before you report to me for further orders.”

“As you command, my Lord. Obedience without question. Loyalty until Underverse come.”

Vaako pressed the panel to send the Quasi-Dead back into its alcove and took a deep breath. _Now, to deal with Riddick and his new pet,_ he thought.

He turned to the guards outside his private quarters as he exited the rooms. “Have you seen my wife?” 

The guards glanced at each other in confusion before the older of the two replied. “She’s inside, Lord Marshal, we saw her go in after she brought the new breeder to your ready room.”

Vaako frowned but nodded, perhaps she was in the bath, he hadn’t checked there. “No one enters,” he told his guards. “Not even servants.”

“Yes, my Lord,” they both said. 

He walked briskly to his ready room and paused at the threshold. Khan was sitting on the sofa, looking troubled, and Riddick was crouched in front of him, speaking too softly for Vaako to make out what he was saying.

“Riddick,” he called.

The Furyan looked at him in annoyance. He squeezed Khan’s hands, whispering something to him, and stood. He approached Vaako in a manner that showed he was ready for an argument.

“We need to talk,” Vaako said, not failing to notice that Khan was just staring down at his hands, not even acknowledging his presence.

“Then talk,” Riddick said, gruffly.

“This cannot happen again,” Vakko began. “He-”

“It won’t,” Riddick cut him off.

Vaako frowned at him. “I should throw him in a cell,” he growled quietly.

“You could try,” Riddick growled back.

They stared at each other for a long moment but it was pointless. Riddick never backed down and he wouldn’t do so now.

Vaako sighed. “Riddick, he can’t be trusted.”

“I trust him,” Riddick countered stubbornly. “He made a mistake. He let his anger get the better of him. It won’t happen again.”

“Maybe you trust him, Riddick, but I don’t.”

“I don’t care if you trust him or not, Vaako.” Riddick said, his voice rising slightly. “Listen to me very carefully, I’ll only say this once, Khan is not to be incarcerated or harmed in any way.”

“If his actions put the-“

“In any way!” Riddick roared. “Necromongers took everything from me once already. I will not let you take him too! I’ll see the whole universe circle down the drain before I let you touch him.”

Vaako stepped back, shocked by Riddick’s extreme reaction. The last time he had seen Riddick this angry was the day that breeder girl, Kyra, died. He saw over Riddick’s shoulder that Khan was now standing, watching them intently. Khan took a step back as their eyes met and Vaako saw no aggression there, just extreme worry. Then Khan’s eyes dropped to the floor and he bowed his head slightly.

“Very well,” Vaako said, looking back into Riddick’s eyes. “I don’t trust him but I trust you, Riddick. The two breeders are in a room in my private quarters, do I have your word they’ll be safe? I can’t risk putting you in rooms outside my private quarters.”

Riddick nodded. “You have my word, Vaako.”

***

Leonard and Jim followed Vaako as they all made a hasty exit from the room. He was still holding on to Jim’s arm. Not so much to keep his friend calm anymore but to keep himself calm. The others had told him stories of how strong Khan was, the man took out a squad of Klingons single-handedly, and for a moment back there Leonard was sure he was about to watch Kirk die and he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it, except die with him. He looked back, just before they turned to head for their room, and he thought he saw Riddick gently holding Khan’s shoulders and talking to him. The scene seemed very intimate and it sent a chill down his spine.

He looked at Jim about to say something but his friend was staring ahead at Vaako’s back as if there was nothing else in the world. He knew Jim well enough to know the lad was barely holding it together at the moment. His own fears could wait until they were back into their room, alone.

Vaako escorted them all the way to their room, even opening the door and looking inside before waving them in. “Stay in here,” he told them gruffly. “Don’t come out unless I or Lady Vaako come for you.”

Leonard nodded and the door closed. He turned to look at Jim who just stood in the middle of the room with his back to him.

“Jim?” Leonard inquired softly.

“Do you think I’m just as much to blame for those deaths?” he whispered, still not turning to face him.

“What? Of course not! Jim, Khan is playing mind games with you, that’s what he does, you know that!”

Jim finally turned around and the look in his eyes broke Leonard’s heart. “Maybe if we hadn’t betrayed him…”

“Damn it, man, snap out of it! Khan is a psychopath. You saw how he was just now. He was going to kill us!” Leonard sighted at Jim’s morose expression and pinched the bridge of his nose. “He told you himself,” he went on more calmly, “that he would’ve killed Admiral Marcus anyway. Would you have stood idly by and allowed that to happen?”

“Of course not,” Jim said weakly.

“Well then, the situation would’ve ended the same way no matter what course you took before that. It’s all on Khan.”

Jim gave him a sad yet stubborn look that Leonard knew all too well. “Or it’s all on Marcus.” He walked to the bed and leaned against the large bedpost. “Bones… What would I have done if I was a one-man army when Krall took most of our crew? What if he had taken every single one of you and I was all alone but had Khan’s abilities? Sure, I like to think I’d still act honorably but… Bones, I’d do anything… anything to save you all.”

Leonard knew that Jim meant every word. Jim’s family was his crew and perhaps in this he and Khan were alike, but he could never imagine Jim being that cold-blooded. “I see your point, Jim, I really do… but Khan had a history of death and destruction long before Marcus got his hands on him and his crew. He was a tyrant.”

“History is written by the victors,” Jim said, almost smiling. “How much do we really know about Khan’s past?”

Leonard frowned. Was Jim really trying to convince him to sympathize with Khan of all people? The man who caused Jim’s death? The man who still gave his friend nightmares?

“Let’s look at this logically,” Jim went on and Leonard snorted. “He is just as trapped here as we are.”

“Yeah and we both know what Khan does when he’s trapped!”

“The Federation,” Jim went on, ignoring the interruption, “has a plan for Khan and his people. The only deviation from that plan is that Khan was prematurely awakened and it’s up to us now to convince him that this plan is his best option.”

Leonard was dubious, to say the least. He didn’t want Jim back into Khan’s sights again. “Jim, they were going to talk to him in a controlled environment! With diplomats, guards and security measures! What do we have? A Necromonger who looks like me and hasn’t yet decided if he wants us alive or dead?”

“What about the big guy? If we could convince both the Lord Marshal and Riddick-”

“I wouldn’t count on Riddick,” Leonard cut him off. “I’m pretty sure he was protecting Khan and not us, back there.”

“How do you mean?”

“Well, it all happened really fast but… I’m almost certain that Riddick got involved only after Vaako was about to pull a gun on Khan and just before we left the room, I think I saw him… comforting Khan.”

“Comforting?” Jim said surprised.

“It looked rather… intimate.”

“Intimate?”

“Do I need to check your hearing? When I looked back Riddick didn’t seem angry at Khan he looked concerned.”

***

Lady Vaako guided Khan to the Lord Marshal's ready room. "Through there," she told him, gesturing at the open door. He gave her a questioning glance and she smiled at him. "I have other business to attend to. You go ahead."

Khan nodded and headed for the door. She waited until he was safely inside and hurried to her husband's private quarters. She had been surprised to find that she had enjoyed her walk with Khan. He was an intelligent and charming man and even though it was clear that he didn't trust her, he treated her with respect. It was a shame that such a man was tied to Riddick, he would've made a great Necromonger.

She entered the quarters and looked coldly at the servants there. "Out,” she snapped, “and no one is to enter unless I specifically ask them to."

They scurried out, throwing fearful glances her way, which she met with icy scorn. Once they were all out and the doors firmly closed behind them she headed to the communion room. Krone had put spies on her again, she was sure of it, and she was determined to find out what that rat was up to once and for all. 

She pressed on the secret panel and watched impatiently as the wall moved inwards and slid to the side to reveal the tunnel beyond. She doubted that even Lord Marshal Zhylaw had known that there was a whole network of tunnels within the Necropolis walls. She herself had only suspected until she finally had access to the Necropolis blueprints when she and Vaako had moved into the Lord Marshal’s private quarters.

The plans didn’t reveal the tunnels but the way that the Necropolis was built made their existence very possible. She had spent months looking for the entrance and just when she was beginning to think she had been wrong, she stumbled on the secret panel. Unfortunately, she couldn't use them as often as she would like. She had decided to keep their existence a secret even from Vaako. She wasn't sure what her honor-bound husband would do if he knew of their existence and she wasn’t willing to risk it. 

She walked through the opening and pressed the panel on the other side to close the door. The tunnels had light but it was extremely low, it made sense, when you built something to spy on your people, you don't want the spy holes to be spotlights on the other side. She waited a moment for her eyes to adjust and headed for Krone's rooms.

She hadn't mapped all of the tunnels yet but so far she had found nine exits, none of them accessible from the outside. It seemed like the only way into the tunnels was through the Lord Marshal’s rooms, smart, that way no one else could accidentally discover them. She had a feeling she would have liked Oltovm The Builder and second Lord Marshal. He built Necropolis with his scheming people in mind and he probably used everything that he learned through spying to make himself appear omniscient. 

Krone's rooms were the first she had set out to discover, studying the layout of the Necropolis and guessing which tunnels would lead to them. She had worked and plotted for too long to allow that fanatic idiot to overthrow her husband. Though she had failed to catch him in the act of treason in the past, she had a good feeling about today. His spies were probably on their way to report to him this very moment.

She could've sent assassins after him, as she had done with Riddick, but unlike Riddick who killed with no questions asked, Krone was a master plotter himself. It was very likely that if the assassins failed he would attempt to capture them and demand they go through mind regression. Assassination was acceptable among Necromongers, so long as you didn't fail and get caught.

She moved the spy hole’s cover to the side and looked through. The first thing she saw was Krone’s ass. Of course, the cretin would be on his hands and knees praying, it was his second favorite pastime, after plotting her husband’s demise. She watched as Krone finished up his prayers and then sat down to eat. She was growing impatient and worried, she didn’t know how long Vaako and the others would be meeting for, while this oaf wasted her time with prayers and dinner. At long last, there was a knock on his door.

“Enter,” Krone called and a vaguely familiar servant opened the door and slithered inside. 

“My Lord Marshal,” she said, setting Lady Vaako’s teeth on edge. He dared to have his servants call him Lord Marshal? 

“Report,” Krone said around a mouthful. 

“Your suspicions were correct, my Lord. Riddick has someone with him and he appears to be connected to the two breeders in Vaako’s care.”

Lady Vaako’s fists clenched, her sharp nails digging into her palms, she would have that little bitch executed, after she had her skinned alive. How dare a lowly servant call her Lord Marshal by his name while calling a measly commander Lord Marshal?

“Anything else?”

“No, My Lord… I think the Dame suspects that we’ve been watching her, I couldn’t risk getting too close to hear what she was discussing with this new breeder.”

Dame? She would have her boiled too.

“Soon enough it won’t matter what that snake suspects. She will join her husband in death, before their due time. Keeping those breeders alive will be the last mistake Vaako ever does. This faith cannot have a kind-hearted fool like Vaako leading it.” He stood and walked over to the servant. “You have proven your faith child,” he told her, “but the faith needs more from you.”

“Obedience without question. Loyalty until Underverse come,” the servant said, bowing to Krone.

“Find out why they are searching the Aquilan records and report back to me and tell the others we will meet in the temple to discuss our next step tomorrow after morning prayers.”

“Yes, my Lord,” the servant said and bowed again when Krone dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

Lady Vaako covered the spy hole and stepped back. _How much support does he have?_ She wondered as she gathered up her dress and hurried down the tunnel to the next spy hole. She got there just in time to see in which direction the servant was heading.

She had a few hours before their meeting but how long before her husband started looking for her? She decided following the servant further would be pointless. She would need that time to explain the existence of the tunnels to Vaako and convince him to follow her to the meeting tomorrow.

***

Khan closed his eyes and held on to Riddick, trying to regain control of himself. He wasn’t sure what had happened, one moment he was so furious that it was like a red veil had fallen over his eyes. He couldn’t see faces, just obstacles between him and his target and he would remove them all just to beat the information he needed out of Kirk. That was normal - the fear that followed next was not.

It rendered him unable to move and then, through the haze a face appeared before him. Riddick’s face. The source of his fear radiating from the man like waves crashing against his very core. Riddick was using the bond against him. Khan felt betrayal, he couldn’t trust anyone, he was alone after all. Then Riddick took his hands and the fear was gone. He instead felt the man’s love and worry for him. The red veil of anger lifted, Khan could think logically once more and he was horrified by what he had almost done, again. 

He tightened his arms around Riddick’s strong body and buried his face against the big guy’s neck. He didn’t know how much time had passed like this when Riddick finally spoke.

“Khan?”

“I was about to break my promise,” Khan whispered. “I was going to attack you.”

Riddick pushed him back and held him by the shoulders, forcing him to look him in the eyes. “No, beastie, that was not you.”

“Of course it was me!” Khan snapped before he could stomp down on his anger. 

Riddick sighed and pulled him to the sofa. He had him sit down and crouched between his legs. “This,” he said, holding his eyes with his own, “was my fault. No, let me finish. I thought those men were just mercs. I didn’t realize you had such a history with them when I asked Vaako to bring you here. You were unprepared and lost control. This was my mistake, not yours.”

Khan wasn’t sure he was hearing him right. It was a first that someone else tried to take the blame for his actions. “I don’t think preparing me would have made any difference,” he said weakly, “I knew one of them would be the doctor, so I had a good guess who might be with him.”

Riddick stared at him for a moment. “Guessing and seeing are very different and we all have our demons. There are men out there that would get the same reaction from me.” He grinned. “I attacked the former Lord Marshal right in the middle of his army.”

Khan raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, I know. Me against the whole damn Necromonger army.” Riddick said, guessing his thoughts. “But… I had nothing to lose back then, other than my own life. You still have a family out there and I promised to help you find them. Dying here would put an end to that.” 

Khan nodded, Riddick was right, and what good was his augmented intelligence when he couldn’t put it to use when it was most needed? And this was the second time he placed Riddick in dire danger just because he couldn’t control his anger. “Do I still have you?” he asked.

“Of course you do,” Riddick said. “I told you, never doubt that.”

Khan cleared his throat. “You doubted me. I felt it, when Kirk revealed the full extent of my crimes you felt doubt.” He watched Riddick’s face as he revealed his fear to him but he couldn’t read what the big guy was thinking from his expression. 

“That was a lot of civilian casualties, beastie. Do you consider what you did a crime?” Riddick asked.

Khan lowered his eyes. “At the time… I was fighting a war. I thought my family was dead. The ship I was on was going down so I tried to direct it to Starfleet’s Headquarters. If my family was dead and I was about to die too, I was going to take the ones responsible for it down with me. The ship’s engines however were badly damaged and it fell into the city instead. I won’t lie. I knew that was a possibility and I didn’t care.” He looked into Riddick’s eyes and felt like someone was squeezing his heart. “I never regretted what I did. I never questioned myself. I was always the leader, making the hard decisions to keep my family safe at all costs.” He took a breath and hated that it came in stuttering. “I never regretted what I did… until now. Until I felt you doubting me.”

“Khan…”

“I was created to be a weapon!” He growled, angrily pushing Riddick’s hands away from him. “To be a pawn in their wars against each other! The first and only choice I ever made for myself and the only one that ever mattered was to use my superior abilities to fight for my people. To fight against our imperfect, warmongering, human creators. Humanity deserved to be subjugated!” He stopped, taking quick breaths as he felt himself losing control again. He looked at Riddick, still crouched before him, his expression still unreadable. “I am a monster,” he whispered and closed his eyes as he felt tears spilling unbidden down his cheeks.

He jumped slightly when he felt Riddick’s hands gently wiping those tears away. “You’re not a monster, Khan. They made you to be a weapon but you are so much more. Fuck them and what they wanted you to be. You can choose what you are, and if you choose not to be a monster that won’t make you weaker, it’ll make you stronger.” He felt Riddick take his hands back into his own and opened his eyes. “I’ll help you,” Riddick said, “I’ll be with you every step of the way.” 

“Riddick.” Vaako’s voice sounded from the entrance before Khan could respond. 

Riddick glanced in its direction, annoyance clearly on his face at the interruption and then back at him, squeezing his hands. “Wait here, beastie. Stay calm.”

Khan remained still staring down at his hands, trying his best to do as he was told and remain calm. _You can choose what you are._

“We need to talk,” Vaako said.

“Then talk,” Riddick replied and to Khan’s augmented hearing he didn’t sound all that calm.

“This cannot happen again,” Vakko began. “He-”

“It won’t,” Riddick cut him off.

“I should throw him in a cell.” Khan heard Vaako say in a low growl and his spine stiffened. _Stay calm._

“You could try,” Riddick growled back.

A long pause followed. Khan tilted his head slightly and watched from the edge of his vision as the two men glared at each other. They weren’t making it easy to remain calm. 

Vaako sighed. “Riddick, he can’t be trusted.”

“I trust him. He made a mistake. He let his anger get the better of him. It won’t happen again.” 

“Maybe you trust him, Riddick, but I don’t.”

“I don’t care if you trust him or not, Vaako.” Riddick said, his voice rising. “Listen to me very carefully, I’ll only say this once, Khan is not to be incarcerated or harmed in any way.”

“If his actions put the-“

“In any way!” Riddick roared. “Necromongers took everything from me once already. I will not let you take him too! I’ll see the whole universe circle down the drain before I let you touch him.”

Khan stood and took a step forward, unsure of what he should do. He stepped back again and as he did Vaako’s eyes met his own over Riddick’s shoulder. Khan knew then that any move from him would only make matters worse and he didn’t want to place Riddick into further danger. He let his eyes drop and bowed his head, hoping Vaako would take his action as a sign of submission. He tried not to clench his fists, as just the idea of submitting started to stir his anger again. _Stay calm, Riddick is more important than your damn ego._

“Very well,” He heard Vaako say. “I don’t trust him but I trust you, Riddick. The two breeders are in a room in my private quarters, do I have your word they’ll be safe? I can’t risk putting you in rooms outside my private quarters.”

“You have my word, Vaako.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A longer if slower chapter. I'm attempting to plant the seeds for what will happen next.
> 
> As always, suggestions, opinions or just saying hello is always welcome. If you like my story feel free to leave me a comment, even one as simple as "Kudos" will make my day :D  
> I'm also open to constructive criticism as this is my first ever story and I wish to improve as much as possible.
> 
> A big thank you to LiteraryHedonism for beta-reading this chapter and for their valuable insight!
> 
> And of course, thank you to all who left me comments/kudos! I hope you're still enjoying my story :) xxx


	20. Chapter 20

“Let’s have a drink before I show you to your room,” Vaako said as they entered his private quarters.

Khan looked around at the large hall of the Lord Marshal’s rooms. There were five doors on each side and Kirk and the doctor were probably behind one of those doors. He noticed Vaako watching him and he schooled his expression into that of mild interest.

“Sounds good,” Riddick replied and also looked at him, Khan simply nodded.

He walked over to the large viewport as Vaako poured their drinks and stared at the stars, those that could be seen between Vaako’s ships.

“Feeling calmer?” He heard Vaako behind him and turned. The Necromonger held out a glass of wine.

“Yes,” Khan said, taking the glass, pretending to look at the liquid to avoid meeting the man’s eyes. Apologies did not come easy to him but after his talk with Riddick he wanted to try and do better. Where was Riddick? He glanced around and saw Riddick leaning against a table in the middle of the room, the big guy nodded. Khan frowned at him, took a breath and looked at Vaako. “My behavior before…” He paused, unable to find the right words. “I… disrespected your hospitality.” It was close enough to an apology.

Vaako raised an eyebrow. “And it’s the only time a Necromonger has ever been hospitable, I can guarantee you that.”

Khan stared, unsure if that was an attempt at humor or not. He gritted his teeth and went on. “Well, my apologies.”

Vaako grinned and nodded. “Riddick told me they are holding your family hostage? That doesn’t mean much to Necromongers, we don’t have families, but I can understand it means a lot to you. I suppose emotions can run high, mistakes can happen.” He drank. “Just don’t let it happen again.”

Khan realized that he was gripping his glass a bit too tightly and loosened his grip before he shattered it. In truth he very much felt like tearing the Necromonger’s head off his shoulders. Talking to him as if he was talking to an unruly child, he had killed for less. He took a generous swallow from his wine and tried to look at this more calmly. This was probably the Necromonger’s idea of a truce. Maybe even an attempt at empathy. “It won’t.”

Vaako seemed to hesitate. He took another drink before looking at Khan. “I have a few questions about your timeline, if you’d be willing to answer.”

_There it is,_ Khan though. _This is why he’s suddenly trying to be civil with me._ “I’ll answer what I can but I spent… a lot of time in cryostasis so there will be gaps in what I know.”

“As their prisoner,” Vaako said.

“Yes.” It wasn’t a full lie, they did put him back into cryostasis as a prisoner the second time. “Why do you believe their lives matter in the existence of yours? Is it because of your similar appearance with the doctor?”

“Necromongers are one of the four elder races. As with humans we also originated from Earth, even if we are no longer human. I need this information so that I can determine the right course of action so as to preserve our world. So yes, it’s possible that their lives matter for the existence of this timeline and I also need to know the role you played in its making.”

_The role I played,_ he thought, _I killed hundreds of thousands, unfortunately none of them your ancestors._ He glanced at Riddick again, the big guy hadn’t moved but he was watching and that somehow helped him keep his emotions in check.

Vaako cleared his throat. “I need to be certain but if your fate is to spend an eternity in cryostasis then I see no point in sending you back with them. Your absence from their time should have no effect on ours.”

Khan looked at Vaako suspiciously. He was being offered a way out? By this man? _No_ , he thought, _I’m being offered an incentive for good behavior or more likely a bald-faced lie. He’ll wrap me up with a pretty bow and hand me over to them if he thinks that will preserve his precious timeline_. “I understand,” he said.

Did Vaako really think he would forget all about his family on an empty offer and a dream of spending the rest of his life here? He looked at Riddick again and he suddenly felt torn. What about Riddick? Would Riddick fight to keep him if Vaako tried to hand him over to Kirk? What if he was given a choice? Would he choose his family over Riddick? The part of him that always looked after his family said yes but he found himself viciously shoving it down. Riddick was his family too.

He didn’t know if Riddick sensed his turmoil or saw it in his eyes but he finally moved to join them. As the big man came to stand next to him, he placed his large hand gently on the small of Khan’s back. Without thinking Khan leaned into him and Riddick wrapped his arm around his waist. He already felt calmer.

“Ask your questions, Lord Marshal.”

Vaako questioned him for a while, asking about dates and locations, events that happened and the people involved. He tactfully avoided asking him questions that would force him to relive his captivity and the loss of his family and Khan was oddly thankful for that. Vaako asked only for period facts and Khan gave him what little he had learned of the century he had spent a little over a year in. Most of that time had been spent developing weapons for Marcus and trying to find a way to save his family. Most of what he knew about events before his rampage was information overheard from Marcus and his men. Marcus had kept him in isolation and when he escaped a history lesson was the last thing on his mind.

Slowly the conversation on the past lapsed and switched to Riddick’s time on L28 and how he had discovered him. Khan was glad to let the big guy take over the conversation and he quietly sipped his wine and thought about his family. He ached for them and the man who knew where they were was on the other side of one of these doors.

“Maybe you should go rest.”

Khan blinked. He realized then that he’d been staring at his wine for a long while as his mind wondered. “I’m fine,” he said, realizing that it was Vaako’s voice addressing him that had interrupted his musings.

“Well I’m not,” Riddick said, giving him a little squeeze. “I’m getting tired of having to look at Vaako’s ugly mug. I’m in desperate need of a break.”

The look Vaako gave Riddick almost made Khan grin. He still didn’t trust the Necromonger but he could read him better now and the man had true affection for Riddick.

“That’s your room,” Vaako said, pointing at the door directly behind them. “Enjoy the…” He grinned at Khan, “view.”

***

Vaako walked to the table to pour himself another glass of wine as Riddick and Khan retired to their room. He was putting the bottle down when his wife burst out of the communion room.

He frowned at her. “Where have you been? And how did you get in there unseen?”

“I’ll explain,” she said breathlessly. She hurried up to him, took the glass from his hand and gulped it down. “We are in danger.”

_What now?_ He thought. “I’m listening.”

She held out the glass and he refilled it for her. She downed that one in one swing as well. “Krone,” she gasped, took a few breaths and tried again. “Krone is gathering followers tomorrow after morning prayers at the temple’s hall. I think he’s ready to make a move against us.”

He refilled her glass for the third time. “And you would know this how?”

“I spied on him in his room. He was speaking with a servant about his plans to kill us both before our due time and of the gathering.”

She must’ve seen the doubt on his face because she grabbed the bottle from his hand and put it down on the table along with her glass. “Come with me,” she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the communion room.

Did his wife somehow convince the Quasi-Dead to spy for her? He doubted even she had that much power of persuasion. Her paranoia must’ve reached its peak. Only once they were in the room she didn’t go to the Quasi-Dead ejection panel, instead she pressed on another which Vaako had been unaware of its existence.

He watched as a section of the wall moved inwards and then slid to the side to reveal a secret passage. He glanced at his wife then walked to the opening and looked inside. The passage was dark, narrow, and followed along the walls as far as his eyes could see before the darkness swallowed it up.

“Those tunnels lead everywhere inside the Necropolis. I haven’t explored all of them yet but I have found many key locations that-”

“How long have you known about this?” He growled, rounding on her. “Is this how you always knew my plans before everyone else?”

“Yes,” she said defiantly. “If you follow the tunnel to the right it leads to your ready room.”

His hands flexed with the need to squeeze her throat. “You spied on me.”

She made a face that made it clear she thought he was an idiot. “I spy on everyone! Now, you can kill me before my due time and join me soon after or… for once in your stupid half-dead life you can actually listen to me!”

His wife had always been insolent and manipulative but she had always known where the line was, even when she toed at it. So, when she in fact crossed the line it gave Vaako pause. “I’m listening,” he snarled between clenched teeth.

***

Riddick leaned against the door and watched as Khan inspected their room. He wasn’t looking at the abundant luxuries though. Or the large viewport that took up half the wall on the right. His sharp eyes were looking for threats, advantages, escape routes, and possible weapons. Riddick knew this because that’s what he would’ve done.

He had been proud of his beastie and how he turned things around a bit with Vaako. They still didn’t trust each other, he had no illusions about that, but there was the possibility for them to at least not be enemies. He could probably talk Vaako into allowing another meeting with Kirk and McCoy now. He really wanted to give Khan some information about his family. Some hope.

“The Lord Marshal’s rooms are the most secure rooms in the Necropolis,” he said as he saw Khan suspiciously eyeing one of the many carvings of Covu’s face.

Khan turned to look at him, his blue eyes showing some amusement at being caught out. “A secure location can easily turn into a perfect trap… And a guest room into a surveillance room.”

Riddick pushed off the door and walked up to Khan. He took hold of the slim waist and pulled the younger man to him. “Worried about listening devices?” he murmured, lowering his head to leave a trail of kisses from Khan’s jaw down to his neck. “Maybe we should give them something to listen to.”

Khan huffed out a laugh and pulled away, taking a few steps back. “After all that has happened you want to have sex? Now?”

Riddick saw in Khan’s eyes that he was being teased. “Best way to unwind after a tense situation,” he purred, following after him with a playful predatory grin.

“Hmm,” Khan hummed, still retreating, but his eyes shone with mischief. “I suppose I never did properly thank you for all that you did for me.”

“Don’t worry about what I did for you,” Riddick said letting his voice drop to a low growl. He didn’t know where this playful side of Khan was coming from but he liked it. “Worry about what I’ll do to you.” He lunged when Khan grinned at him but he was easily dodged with Khan ending up behind him. When he turned, Khan was topless and his grin showed off his dimples, his nimble hands already working on his belt.

“Remove your clothes,” Khan said, tilting his head back as he pulled off his belt and threw it next to his shirt.

Riddick let his eyes roam over that perfect body and growled hungrily. He wanted to touch, to feel that smooth skin under his callused hands. “I’d rather help you with those bottoms,” he said but Khan stepped back when he tried to move closer.

“I said strip, big guy.”

Riddick stopped trying to catch Khan, his leg wasn’t in top shape yet anyway, and narrowed his eyes at him. He shrugged and pulled his shirt off, tossing it at Khan who caught it with a grin and tossed it over with his own.

“Keep going,” Khan purred and started to circle him.

Riddick grinned as he bent down to unlace his boots, he remembered now, cheeky little bastard. He stood, toed off his boots and kicked them away, turning his head to watch Khan until he was behind him and out of view. He shook his head in amusement and unbuttoned his pants, letting them drop to his ankles and stepping out of them.

“Beautiful.” He heard Khan’s voice, close behind him and then felt his fingertips tracing over the muscles of his back. “You _are_ perfect.”

Riddick chuckled and turned. “And you are a smartass,” he said, looking down, pleased to see Khan was fully naked now too. “Am I allowed to touch now?”

By way of answer Khan wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed him, pressing their bodies together. Riddick deepened the kiss with an approving hum and reached around Khan, lifting him by his ass. Khan wrapped his legs around his waist as Riddick moved them towards the bed.

In his eagerness he miscalculated the bed’s distance. Their drop was less graceful and more sudden than he had planned. Only his quick reflexes helped him put out his arms and halt their fall just inches from the mattress. There was a short pause as Khan let himself drop the rest of the way and started laughing.

“So that’s what it takes to make you laugh?” Riddick asked, smiling down at the smaller man as he lowered himself over him. He couldn’t get over how different Khan seemed when he smiled and every time he caught a glimpse of this rare phenomenon he wanted time to go into an infinite loop so it would never stop.

Khan, still smiling, traced the lines around Riddick’s own smile softly with his fingertips. “I like being able to see your face,” he said and kissed him.

They lay like that for a while, just kissing and caressing, exploring each other’s bodies in the comfort of an actual bed. Riddick eventually started to venture further, kissing down the long neck to the smooth chest, teasing the small nipples with his teeth and tongue, drawing out quiet moans.

“Riddick,” Khan gasped, “let me on top,” Riddick looked up surprised and Khan grinned. “Don’t worry, your ass is safe. Just roll on your back.”

Riddick rolled on his back and Khan followed, straddling his hips and looking down at him with an almost shy smile. His blue eyes roamed over Riddick’s torso then hesitantly his hands followed. He traced every muscle and scar, seemingly fascinated, though Riddick suspected he was stalling, trying to gather up his courage.

Riddick didn’t mind, he lifted his arms behind his head and let the younger man explore at his leisure. After a while Khan glanced up at his eyes and Riddick grinned. “Take your time, beastie,” he said gently.

Khan bit his bottom lip. “Maybe this was a bad idea,” he said quietly.

“No,” Riddick said, trying to hide his amusement as he lowered his arms and caressed up Khan’s thighs. “Come down here and kiss me.” Khan leaned down and as their lips met Riddick moved his hands further up and grabbed his ass. He squeezed it firmly and Khan moaned quietly into his mouth. Riddick dug his fingers harder into the flesh of Khan’s firm ass and the younger man responded by arching his back as his hand slid down to grasp Riddick’s shaft.

He began stroking him slowly, bringing him up to full hardness as their kiss became hungrier. Khan pulled away gasping for air and sat back, his eyes shone with lust as he looked down at him and his hand stroked him faster.

“That’s it,” Riddick breathed. “Now touch yourself too.”

Khan obeyed, clumsily at first but soon found a rhythm for both of them. Riddick again allowed a few moments before taking it to the next step. He lifted his torso slightly and reached further behind Khan, teasing his entrance with a finger.

The reaction was breathtaking. Khan threw his head back and let out a breathy moan, he lost the rhythm of his strokes but Riddick didn’t mind as the younger man tried to push down on his finger. He pressed in just beyond the tight ring and Khan whimpered then looked down at him with pure hunger.

Riddick sat up and kissed him, gently taking over stroking Khan’s erection and pushing his finger further up his ass. Khan stilled and moaned for a moment as Riddick found his sweet spot and invaded his mouth more forcefully with his tongue. Khan opened up to him and resumed stroking him. He grabbed Riddick’s bicep with his free hand and dug his nails into the flesh as he swung his hips trying to ride Riddick’s finger. His moans became more desperate and his ministrations on Riddick’s shaft more erratic.

Riddick added a second finger and Khan broke the kiss with a sharp gasp. He laid his head on Riddick’s shoulder and moaned between short huffs of breath. Riddick pulled him slightly closer, he stroked and fingered him faster and faster until Khan growled and pulled his hands away, pushing him back on the bed.

Khan sat back panting and looked down on him, the look in his eyes was every bit that of a wild beast. He started to maneuver himself over Riddick’s throbbing erection.

“Hold up,” Riddick said and Khan paused letting out a low growl. “Just wait,” Riddick said holding up his hands, unable to hide the grin spreading across his face. He stretched one arm over his head, reached up, and pressed a panel in the wall over the bed. A small compartment opened to reveal a line of small bottles of oil. “Told you,” he said when Khan lifted an eyebrow. “Necromongers are sexmongers.” He took one of the bottles and held it out.

Khan took it and popped the cork, he almost looked annoyed.

Riddick’s grin grew. “Just use some, beastie.”

Khan tipped the bottle over his palm and took hold of Riddick’s shaft, hastily rubbing the oil over it. It was just enough to add some shine to his cock and make the stroking smoother. He corked the bottle again and gave Riddick a rebelling look as he tossed it to the edge of the bed.

Riddick chuckled and shook his head. “Have it your way then.” He’d get him to enjoy a slower pace one day, but perhaps not today. “You’ll have to come a bit higher than that,” Riddick guided, both amused and turned on at having to give instructions on how to get fucked. Khan didn’t seem to mind that. “There you go, now guide it where you want it.”

The first two attempts slipped but Khan found the right angle the third time and started to slowly lower himself on Riddick’s shaft with a satisfied grunt. Once again Riddick marveled, and worried, at how tight it was but as with the other times, Khan seemed to take pleasure in the pain. His cock jumped slightly, his head tilted back and his eyes rolled up as he bottomed out. His slightly parted lips begged to be kissed but Riddick didn’t want to move and miss even a moment of the sight before him.

Khan looked down, caressed Riddick’s abs and experimented swinging his hips. He was a fast learner and to Riddick’s surprise he was taking it slow. Riddick hummed his approval and stroked his thighs a few times. Encouraged Khan picked up his pace but he was so focused on the action that he was being a bit too quiet for Riddick’s preferences so he started to meet his thrusts.

At first it threw Khan off his rhythm but he quickly fell in sync with Riddick. The moans soon followed, getting louder and more frequent as Riddick picked up the pace. Khan was meeting him thrust for thrust and Riddick took it all in. The way Khan’s hips moved, his cock bouncing with each thrust, the muscles playing on his stomach, the glimpses of his own shaft going into Khan’s ass when he rose a bit too high. Riddick could feel himself dangerously close to the edge when Khan suddenly stopped and leaned forward, placing his hands on each side of Riddick’s waist, panting hard.

“Why did you stop?” Riddick asked, confused and more than a little breathless himself.

“Too close,” Khan breathed. “I won’t last…”

“That’s the point,” Riddick growled playfully and grabbed Khan’s ass as he adjusted his legs. He held him firmly into position as he thrust up hard and fast, watching as Khan closed his eyes and whimpered. He was quickly coming undone but Riddick wanted to go deeper. He wanted to fuck Khan into the mattress and feel him writhe under him. He thrust his hips high off the bed and twisted his body, flipping them over. He instantly plunged back in balls-deep and picked up speed, ferociously slamming into the body beneath him. All he could see was Khan’s electric blue eyes and all he could hear were his delicious moans, demanding for more.

He lowered himself over the smaller body and moved his arms under the smooth back, grabbing hold of the shoulders from behind. He invaded Khan’s mouth with his tongue and used his shoulders for leverage as he slammed deep inside him and held. The moan that vibrated in his mouth nearly pushed him over the edge.

Riddick broke the kiss and pulled out slowly, watching Khan’s face as he did so. The flushed cheeks, the swollen lips… he could vaguely hear the pleas coming out of them. He thrust back in as hard as he could and kept going, picking up speed. Khan’s whole body shuddered and he let out a throaty growl followed by a prolonged moan. Riddick felt the wetness on his stomach and kept going chasing after his own orgasm. His hips stuttered as he came inside Khan. He continued a while longer with shallow thrusts to make his orgasm last longer, enjoying the slick wetness before he buried his face into the crook of Khan’s neck and lay still, the only sounds now their ragged breathing. Khan wrapped his arms around him and traced lazy circles along his spine.

Riddick gave him a playful bite on his neck and rose up enough to look at his face. “Only you can make me lose control over my animal side,” he said and gave him a quick kiss.

“Not going to ask me if I’m alright?” Khan asked with a teasing half grin.

Riddick chuckled. “Smartass.”

Khan made a face. “Um, sore ass,” he said and flashed his dimples.

Riddick shifted his hips pulling out his softening member. He grinned when Khan shivered. “Don’t get too comfortable. There _will_ be a round two.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought the boys deserved some fun time before things get out of hand. I also needed some fun time before I try to bring it all together lol
> 
> I'm open to comments/suggestions. I know where this story is going but I can always use some inspiration for the in-between parts :)  
> What do you like so far? What would you like to see more of? Anything that comes to mind! I love hearing from my readers. 
> 
> A big thank you to LiteraryHedonism for beta-reading this chapter and for their valuable insight!
> 
> And as always a big thank you to everyone that left me comments/kudos! Stay safe!


	21. Chapter 21

Jim pressed his ear to the door, it’s probably been hours since Vaako had brought them back to their room and they had heard nothing from him since.

“Anything?” Bones asked.

“Can’t hear a thing,” Jim said and turned to look at his friend. “Maybe everyone went to sleep?”

“And they didn’t even feed us,” Bones complained. “Maybe we should get some sleep too.”

“Or,” Jim said, “we can go out there and see if there’s any food around.”

Bones looked at him as if he had lost his mind. “Are you out of your corn-fed mind?” He hissed, confirming his theory. “They told us to stay put and we don’t know where Khan is.”

“Bones, I doubt they put him next door, come on. I’ll be quick.” He opened the door just a crack and looked outside. The hall was empty.

“Jim… Jim, don’t!” He heard Bones hissing urgently, coming closer.

“Just wait here, Bones,” he whispered back and slipped out before his friend could grab him. He quietly closed the door behind him and took a couple of steps, giving the room another cautious inspection.

He smiled when he spotted the bowl of fruits on the table. It wasn’t dinner but it was better than nothing. He hurried over and held out his shirt by its hem, planning to fill it with fruits when his eyes fell on the large viewport. Was that a planetary system in the distance?

He looked at the fruit and back at the viewport. A quick look, no big deal, might even figure out where they were. He walked up to the viewport and squinted. A blue sun system with six planets from what he could make out. He closed his eyes trying to remember every chart he had seen with a blue sun and about six planets when he heard a door opening and closing. Bones, he couldn’t even wait a couple of minutes.

He turned about to make a joke at his friend’s expense and froze as his eyes met with Khan’s. The augment stood, topless, in front of the door directly to the left of the viewport. His hand still on the door’s handle as he stared back at him.

_This is bad,_ Jim thought in a panic, desperately glancing around even though he knew there was no one else in the hall. _Very bad._

Khan blinked and slowly let go of the door handle. Jim pulled his shoulders back and tried to put on a brave face. He knew he had no chance to take on Khan in a hand to hand fight, but that didn’t mean he would go down without one. What he didn’t expect was for Khan to turn and calmly walk to the table.

He watched, still frozen in place, as Khan picked up a bottle and set two glasses on the table. He poured wine in both of them and then looked back at him as he put the bottle back down and picked up one of the glasses. He held it out in Jim’s direction.

Jim glanced at the door leading to their room and hoped Bones wouldn’t decide to come out now. With every ounce of will he had, he forced his legs to move and slowly approached Khan. The augment’s eyes were steady on his, his face the impassive yet somehow intense mask he remembered from back when they first met. He stopped just out of reach and looked down at the offered glass.

“I won’t bite, Captain,” Khan said in that smooth way of his.

“Could’ve fooled me,” Jim managed. Humor had always been his go to response during impossible situations but he was surprised to see Khan’s lips twitch into a fleeting grin. He reached out cautiously and took the glass from Khan’s hand. Even that brief contact with the augment’s skin filled him with fear. Fully aware of the amount of damage those hands were capable of. “Where’s the big guy?” he asked.

“Riddick is sleeping,” Khan said casually, picking up the other glass and taking a sip. “Where is the doctor?”

“Not here,” Jim said evenly and Khan’s eyes narrowed for just a moment. Jim dared to give the augment a once-over. His hair was wet and slicked back and his naked chest had a slight wet look to it as well, as if Khan had just stepped out from the shower. The silence stretched on and Jim feared he was about to start squirming under Khan’s icy gaze.

“The pilots!” he blurted and tried again when Khan raised an eyebrow at him. “Where are the shuttle pilots?”

“Not here,” Khan said coldly.

Jim stood straighter and looked him squarely in the eyes. “Did you kill them?”

Khan sighed and put his glass down. He leaned against the table and crossed his arms over his chest. “No, Captain, I did not. It seems like the shuttle I was on had been drifting in space for months, maybe a year, until it eventually ran out of power and was drawn in by the gravity of a planet called L28. Riddick saw the shuttle when it fell on the planet’s surface and that’s how he found me. The pilots were dead and I was still in cryostasis. He woke me up.” 

Jim searched Khan’s eyes. He didn’t think the augment was lying but he was still reluctant to believe him. If their calculations were that off and they came here a year later, what would that mean for their return? If they even got out of this alive. “What happened to the shuttle?”

Khan shrugged. “Still on the planet’s surface and most likely buried in layers of snow by now. It was unrecoverable.” He tilted his head. “Why was I in space in the first place, Captain?”

Jim hesitated. He was standing in front of a ticking bomb and what he would say next might just be what sets it off. “You were being transferred to a space station for… a rehabilitation project.”

Khan’s eyebrows rose in surprise then he barked a laugh. “Rehabilitation project?” He asked sarcastically. “Was Starfleet planning to brainwash me to do its bidding again?”

“Starfleet had nothing to do with what Marcus did!” Jim snapped and hesitated at the look of contempt Khan slanted his way. “It’s been six years, Khan, and we’ve worked hard to uncover everyone who had worked with Marcus and his Section 31. Yes, a lot of them were Starfleet officers but what they did was not sanctioned by the Chief of Staff or the Federation Council.”

Khan scoffed but seemed to keep his calm so Jim decided to push on.

“We know all of what Marcus did now and we know about your twelve crew members.”

Khan’s eyes darkened and the skin between his eyebrows creased. “He murdered them in their sleep, Captain. If you can’t even put a name to his crimes how do you expect me to believe you’d be capable of cleaning the filth from within your own house? Do you really believe that your Starfleet and the Federation have actually succeeded in eradicating Section 31?”

“I do,” Jim said. He still believed in what Starfleet stood for, what Christopher Pike had stood for. “The Federation values truth and justice above all else. What-”

“Like that farce of a court they put me through? They didn’t care about the truth then. They just wanted the terrorist back on ice.” The look on Khan’s face was something between pity and disgust. “You are more naïve than I thought, _Captain._ ”

“He’s not naïve,” Bones said and Jim closed his eyes in annoyance. Why didn’t he just stay in the room as he was told? “Overly optimistic, perhaps. An idiot with a death wish, quite possibly.”

Khan didn’t even turn his head. He just smiled at Jim as he replied to Bones. “Nice of you to finally join us, Doctor. Wine?”

The bastard had known Bones was there long before Jim heard him speak. “Yeah, Bones, why not join us? It’s not like your Captain told you to stay put.”

Bones came and stood next to him. “Under the circumstances… do we have anything stronger?”

“I’m afraid I haven’t familiarized myself with Vaako’s pantry, Doctor,” Khan said and reached behind him for another glass and the bottle. He handed Bones the glass and actually poured the wine for him. “So tell me. Why should I trust Starfleet now?” he asked as he set the bottle down again and reclaimed his own glass.

“The Federation, actually,” Jim corrected.

“What’s the difference?” Khan mocked, taking a sip of wine.

“Starfleet is a branch of the Federation. The Federation _Council_ has reopened and reviewed your case after the investigation on Marcus and Section 31 was concluded. Khan, it’s not just humans, your case has been brought to the attention of one hundred and fifty planets. In that farce of a court, and I’ll agree with you there, it was a farce. Emotions were high… nearly everyone in that court had lost someone to what you did. The Federation Council was more objective with your case and with the new evidence they overruled the first court’s decisions.”

“And Jim advocated for you,” Bones said quietly.

Khan’s eyes shifted to Bones and back to him. “You,” he said, looking Jim up and down, “advocated for me.”

Jim wanted to kick Bones. “I wouldn’t say advocated… I was called in as a witness, but I tried to give them an objective view of the events… and perhaps your perspective as well, since I was the only one outside Section 13 that spent any amount of time with you. The rest was their choice.”

Khan frowned. “What would you know of my perspective?”

Jim tried to hide his annoyance. He was starting to regret trying to help Khan at all, but something inside him told him that this was what Pike would’ve done… had he lived. “I know that you care deeply for your people. I know that Marcus forced you into doing his bidding by dangling their lives over your head.” He looked into Khan’s eyes, trying to make him see that he understood. “That he murdered twelve of them to keep you in line. That when you finally escaped you had no reason to trust anyone and seek help, and that you thought your people were dead. You believed you were alone so you took matters into your own hands.”

Khan remained silent but Jim thought he saw something change in the augment’s eyes. Khan looked away and put his glass down. He crossed his arms again and took a deep breath, fixing his eyes somewhere on Jim’s chest. “I also killed your friend, Pike, was it? Along with a few more captains and commanders and, as you recently reminded me, I also killed hundreds of thousands of civilians.” He looked back up into Jim’s eyes. “You expect me to believe that you or your Federation will overlook that?”

_This is it_ , Jim thought, _the moment of truth. Are you really a man who’d do anything for his family or simply a monster doing whatever you feel like?_ “No, Khan, I will always hate you for what you did and no, the Federation will not forgive your crimes. The lives lost by your actions can’t be ignored.”

“Then what are you offering, Captain?”

“A chance to free your people. To offer them a new beginning… as for you, I can’t make any promises. Once the rehabilitation project is on its way you will be put back on trial.”

***

Vaako followed his wife through the tunnels. When she told him how she had inferred their existence from the Necropolis plans and then how she had discovered them he had been both angry and impressed. That she kept such a secret from him was infuriating but that she came to him at all was surprising. He had never doubted her greediness for power but he had been sure she would’ve cut him loose the moment she thought he’d be a hindrance to her advancement. 

She stopped and moved something on the wall to reveal another spy hole. She had shown him a few by now, one to his ready room, another overlooking the throne even, and several in key locations of the Necropolis that people on the other side thought to be blind spots and safe to speak in hushed tones.

“Krone’s rooms,” she whispered and stepped aside for him to look through.

He put his eye to the hole and was once again amazed at how well placed these spots were. He could almost see the whole main room beyond. Krone wasn’t there.

“He must already be at morning prayers,” she whispered and took his hand. “This way.”

They arrived just as the Purifier was finishing up the morning prayers and would normally end the gathering with a tribute to the Lord Marshal’s past and present. Instead, he stepped aside and Krone took the stage.

Vaako looked at his wife, not sure if what he was seeing made sense. “He’s on the stage,” he whispered.

“What?” she hissed, “With everyone still there?”

Vaako looked again. He saw many of his commanders there, maybe more than half, and many of the nobles, too many. Had Krone turned this many against him already? With him none the wiser or was he taking a risk in hopes to move those left to his side now?

“My children,” Krone began, “our faith is under attack! There are four breeders among us and have they been converted? Have they been killed?” He looked around those gathered. “You all know who one of them is. Riddick! The breeder that Vaako crowned Lord Marshal and nearly destroyed the faith! For five years we had no converts. For five years we were forbidden to follow the teachings of our faith and cleanse this universe from the filth of life!”

Murmurs erupted in the room and Krone allowed them for a while before he raised his hands for silence.

The Purifier stepped forward. “Vaako believes that harming those breeders will have catastrophic consequences to the time-line.”

“Vaako is a short-sighted fool!” Krone shrieked at the Purifier’s intervention, an obvious ploy to pave the way for Krone’s speech.

Vaako’s fists clenched. If the Purifier was on Krone’s side things were much worse than he had thought. Very few knew the exact reasons he kept Kirk and the others alive, and the Purifier was one of them. He had pretended to be on Vaako’s side on this, sharing his worries. How long had he been Krone’s spy?

“Covu the Transcended and most Holy Lord Marshal who has seen the Underverse taught us that all life in this universe was a spontaneous outbreak. An unguided mistake that needs to be corrected!” Krone paced before the gathered, his eyes shining with religious fervor. “Don’t you see? These breeders that Vaako believes are so important are the carriers of that virus. They are the cause of this outbreak! Hundreds of years ago Kirk and his crew led humanities spread across the universe. If we cleanse him now we will minimize or even completely stop the plague that is life in this universe!”

Vaako held back a growl. “Doesn’t the fool see that killing Kirk won’t guarantee the end of human lives in the universe?” He hissed. “It only guarantees a different timeline, with unknown results. Someone else will take Kirk’s place.”

“Do you think he cares?” his wife hissed back. “He’s crazy. He thinks the gods speak to him and he thinks the Throne is his divine right.”

“But what if Lord Marshal Vaako is right?” An older noble shouted out. “What if by killing these breeders we also kill the Necromonger faith?”

Krone glared at the old man and advanced on him. “Is your faith so weak?” he snarled at him. “Is your faith so lacking that you think killing a useless breeder will kill our gods?”

The old man shrank back and shook his head. “N-No, of course not!”

Krone stepped away from the now trembling man. “This is Vaako’s fear talking through this man!” he roared, once again addressing the crowd. “He has made us weak and clinging to life! Have we forgotten that the natural state is Death and what comes afterward? Have we forgotten that WE too are part of this outbreak and that we only remain here, alive, so that we can cleanse the universe of all human life?” He walked to the center of the stage. “My children, if we kill this Kirk, here and now we accomplish that goal. Why do you think the gods sent him here? Now? Right into Necromonger hands?” He paused and looked over at those gathered.

Cold sweat ran down Vaako’s back and he felt his wife’s hands clinging to his arm. Like him, she realized that in a very twisted way the madman’s speech would make sense to too many. It would be too late to stop an all-out civil war or worse for them, an outright coup.

“Kill them and bring an end to the spread once and for all. Or do you want to remain here? Following a false Lord Marshal who hasn’t even taken the pilgrimage to the Threshold. A Lord Marshal who hasn’t even seen the Underverse! Kill them and I promise you, we will all see the Underverse!”

There was a moment of silence and then the crowd erupted. At first, the cries were chaotic but soon joined into a single chant.

“The Threshold! The Threshold! Take us to the Threshold!”

“What do we do?” Lady Vaako cried over the noise.

Vaako took her hand and dragged her back the way they came. “There’s nothing we can do now. It’s too late. We have to leave, immediately.”

“Leave?” she exclaimed as she stumbled after him. “And go where? Vaako! We have to fight, we-“

He stopped and turned, grabbing her shoulders and bringing his face close to hers. “Fight how? Who do we trust? More than half of my commanders were in that room! He even has the Purifier on his side. Any one of our guards could be one of them, will they be watching our backs or shooting us?”

She pulled away and glared at him. “Still, where would we go?”

He grabbed her hand again and kept moving. “First we go get Riddick.”

***

“A chance to free your people. To offer them a new beginning… as for you, I can’t make any promises. Once the rehabilitation project is on its way you will be put back on trial.”

Khan’s heart started to race inside his chest. He stared at Kirk trying to put his thoughts in order. Something had changed the young captain since the last time Khan saw him and it wasn’t just the fact that he was a bit older. Kirk still hated him but surprisingly, he seemed to genuinely want to help him too.

“You can relax, Captain. I won’t hurt you or the doctor. So why don’t you take things from the beginning. Why was my case reopened?”

He watched as Kirk took a deep breath and nodded. “Let’s sit down then and I’ll try my best to explain.” Kirk moved to the table and pulled out a chair, the doctor following his lead.

Khan pushed off the table and took a seat across from them. He leaned forward and waited. Listening closely to their heartbeats for any sign of deception.

“Your case was reopened as a result of the investigation into Marcus and Section 31. The Federation took over the investigation because Starfleet was considered compromised, as many of its members were revealed to be Section 31 operatives. I don’t know all the details that led to reopening your case. At the time I was sent on a five-year mission in deep space. I do know that many members of the Federation Council believed your treatment by the Starfleet court had been unfair, especially considering the conditions of your awakening and your prolonged imprisonment by Marcus. They also believe that humanity should take responsibility for the creation of augments.”

“Responsibility how?” Khan asked, “We were created centuries ago, all our creators are long gone.”

“The Federation doesn’t think that absolves us of the responsibility. Frankly, neither do I. Augments didn’t ask to be created and since you and your crew survived into our century a solution needed to be found. Keeping you all in cryostasis indefinitely goes against the Federation’s values and rules on individual rights. Even if history has you all recorded as criminals condemned to death those records were dismissed since there’s so little known about augments from before they seized power in over forty nations.”

He paused and Khan knew he was expecting him to give some insight into that. “I will speak of my past in court, Captain, if it comes to that. Right now I have no interest in the past. Continue.”

Kirk nodded even though Khan could see that he was disappointed. “The Federation decided that three hundred years in cryosleep is enough punishment for past crimes. They wish to give augments a chance to assimilate into our century, especially after the discovery of…” He paused and looked at the doctor.

They both looked extremely nervous and Khan could hear their hearts speeding up. His own skipped a beat. “You found the embryos, didn’t you?” he said, not daring to believe it even as he hoped.

They looked at him with wide eyes. “Yes,” the doctor said, recovering first. “Two thousand augmented embryos were discovered in a secret facility in space.”

“Cold Station 12,” Khan said. He could barely keep himself seated.

“How do you know that?” the doctor asked suspiciously.

“There were rumors of such a station during my time, but it was supposed to be located somewhere in the arctic. We were unable to find them and then the wars started… Two thousand?” He couldn’t keep the emotion from coloring his voice.

“Yes,” the doctor said more softly this time. “I examined them myself since I had some experience from… well my experience with you. Two thousand healthy embryos.”

“They will join the augment colony if the rehabilitation project is a success,” Kirk said.

“Colony?” Khan said. Was it possible for an augmented heart to fail? He felt like he couldn’t breathe.

“Your people will be reanimated and educated in twenty-third century technology as well as the Federation’s rules and values. As their leader, the Federation hopes that you will assist in making their transition into our century smoother.”

Khan frowned. “You mean to say that I get to explain to them why we are twelve brothers and sisters short and why they shouldn’t retaliate.” He clenched his fists trying to hold in his anger. Those twelve lives lost because Marcus wanted to control him even as he feared him. That’s twelve of their brothers and sisters who would never have the chance to live in a world that just might, for once, accept them. He was shocked when the doctor leaned in and placed a gentle hand over his fist.

“No, we mean to say that you should help them grieve that loss without letting anger take over.” The doctor said looking at him with genuine sadness in his eyes. “Marcus is dead and his collaborators punished. This is your people’s chance to live in peace. Our hope is that they will choose to become Federation members.”

Khan pulled his hands back, though his anger somehow vanished. “This colony you spoke of. Where is it?”

Kirk took over again as the doctor leaned back. “The Federation has been terraforming a planet near the Federation borders. It’s a similar environment to earth but I’ll be honest, it’s a bit harsher too. They are, however, confident that augments would thrive there and many members of the Federation have already requested to join and assist the augment colony to grow.”

“You mean that members of the Federation will be there to keep an eye on us.”

“No, I mean that other colonists have requested to live with your people as equals. And if those two thousand babies join the colony too… your people need all the help they can get.”

_Your people_ , Khan thought, _but not you_. “I…” He stopped as he heard someone coming and turned his head just as Vaako burst into the hall from one of the rooms, dragging Lady Vaako behind him.

The Necromonger looked at them with surprise and then his expression darkened. “Riddick!” he shouted at them. “Get Riddick now!” He let go of his wife’s hand - who stayed where she was trying to catch her breath - and hurried to the main doors. He punched in a code and the doors locking mechanisms whined as they were set into motion, finishing with a firm and resounding clang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope at least some of you are enjoying my story so far :). As always I'm open to any comments and/or constructive criticism. 
> 
> A big thank you to LiteraryHedonism for beta-reading this chapter and for their valuable insight!
> 
> And as always thank you to all who have left me comments/kudos, your support means a lot!
> 
> Stay safe everyone!


	22. Chapter 22

“Riddick.”

Riddick opened his eyes to see Khan standing at the foot of the bed, and to his disappointment, fully dressed. “How do you always manage to sneak out of bed without waking me?”

Khan offered a fleeting grin before his expression turned grim. “Vaako is asking for you. Something’s wrong.”

“Something’s always wrong,” he said and sat up on the edge of the bed, rubbing his eyes. “When did you see Vaako?”

“When I went out for a bit.”

He looked up and Khan held out his clothes for him. Riddick stood, tossed the clothes on the bed and pulled the younger man in for a kiss.

Khan pulled away too soon. “I don’t think we have time for this. Get dressed.”

Riddick frowned and picked up his clothes again. “Any idea what’s wrong?” He asked as he pulled up his pants.

“He locked the large double doors to his private quarters and told me to call you. That’s all I know.”

Riddick pulled his shirt on and sat on the bed to put on his boots. “Was it a code and a mechanical sort of lock?” When Khan nodded he hastened his affords. “Then it really must be bad, that locking mechanism has never been used as far as I know. It’s in case enemies infiltrate and take over the Necropolis. They call it the Lord Marshal’s last stand.”

“And I assume that has never happened before?”

“You assume right, beastie,” Riddick said and headed for the door.

Only a pacing, wide-eyed Lady Vaako waited for them outside. She ran up to them as soon as she saw them. “Took you long enough!” she snapped at Riddick and then wrapped herself around Khan’s arm pulling him along. She looked over her shoulder at Riddick. “Hurry!” she hissed.

She led them into one of the rooms where Vaako was busy arming himself, Kirk and a very flustered McCoy, who was in the process of complaining that he was a doctor, not a commando.

“What’s going on?” Riddick asked, leaning against the door frame and crossing his arms.

“Krone. He’s betrayed me and is on his way here as we speak. He has turned most of my commanders against me, so we can assume that he’s bringing a lot of firepower too.”

Riddick walked further into the room, which apparently, Vaako had turned into an armory in his absence, and picked a gravity rifle. “I told you, you should’ve ghosted that motherfucker a long time ago.” He didn’t wait for Vaako’s answer nor did he care for it. He turned to Khan. “Gravity rifle,” he told him, handing him the weapon. “Nothing fancy, just point and squeeze the trigger.”

Khan gently detached Lady Vaako from his arm and took the rifle to examine it briefly. “I’ll take one of those guns too,” he said, looking at the smaller weapons Kirk and McCoy were holding. “If we’re going up against an army I’d prefer to shoot with both hands.”

“That rifle might look small but it has a kick to it,” Vaako said. “You’ll need both hands.”

“He can handle both,” Kirk jumped in, not looking up from his own examination of his gun. “I’d feel even better if you had a cannon to give him in place of the rifle.” He looked up at Khan then and Khan actually grinned at him.

Riddick raised an eyebrow, he knew an inside joke when he heard one but he never expected one between those two. “Give him the gun, Vaako,” he said and picked a rifle for himself.

“So what’s the plan here?” McCoy asked. “We wait for them to storm the gates and hope that the five of us can hold them off? Not all of us are superhuman you know!”

“Of course not,” Vaako said. He handed Khan a handgun and another to his wife as he walked past them and out the door. They all followed and watched as the Lord Marshal put his gun on the table and poured himself a drink. “The doors will keep them occupied and while they are trying to break in here we’ll be making our way to the hangar through the tunnels.”

“There are tunnels?” Riddick asked. “When did you make those?”

“I didn’t,” Vaako said, taking a swig from his glass and looking at his wife with more than a little ire in his eyes. “It was news to me too.”

“The tunnels have no exit to the hangar, at least none that I’ve found,” she said, unfazed by her husband’s scorn. “The closest exit I know of is behind Covu’s statue near the Necropolis main gates.”

Vaako frowned. “That’s on the opposite side of the hangar’s entrance. We’ll have to cross the Necropolis plaza in plain sight. Are you sure that’s the only exit close enough?”

Lady Vaako nodded. “The tunnels were built when the Necropolis was built, before we took to space. The hangar didn’t exist then, so the furthest tunnel exit from here leads to the nearest exit from the Necropolis, that’s the main gates.”

Riddick looked at Khan before he spoke. Unlike the others, who showed some signs of anxiety, Khan looked almost serene. Small comfort for Riddick, he had promised Khan a search for his people, not a damn war. “So we wait until the last possible second. Until most of them are gathered outside those doors and believe they have us trapped,” he said and put his rifle on the table, picking up a glass for himself.

“Is this really a good time for you to be drinking?” The doctor scolded them.

Riddick grinned. “What? This? This is just tea.”

Khan’s eyes darted over everyone, his expression made it clear that he was not amused. “Is there a way to see what is happening outside those gates?” He asked and even though it was delivered in a calm voice it still sounded like a command.

“Yes,” Vaako replied as if waking up with a jolt and walked to the gates, the rest of them on his heels. He passed his hand over the surface of one of the doors and the area he touched turned transparent. They could see the guards standing just outside the door but no unusual activity. Riddick remembered doing this often when he had been Lord Marshal, wondering when the next assassination attempt would come. Questioning if the guards were indeed there to protect or kill him. Just like Vaako was doing at this very moment.

“Don’t even think about it, Vaako,” Riddick warned. He knew his honor bound former commander too well.

Vaako turned. “My personal guards might still be faithful,” he hissed. “I can’t just let them-”

“You can and you will,” Riddick said firmly but not unkindly. “Even if they are still loyal to you we can’t take them with us.”

“My frigate can hold over thirty men!”

“And can you trust thirty men? All of them? In any case, we’re not taking your frigate. I’m not putting our fate into the hands of the Quasi-Dead. What happens when they declare Krone the new Lord Marshal? Do you think those twitching corpses you have controlling your ships will hold faith with you?”

“Riddick is right,” Lady Vaako said and rolled her eyes at Riddick’s look of mock surprise. “You said as much in the tunnels, husband, we can’t trust anyone without risking ourselves. Especially the Quasi-Dead. Their loyalty is with the Lord Marshal, they won’t care who it is or how he became Lord Marshal.”

Vaako visibly deflated and Riddick felt a pang of sympathy for his old friend. “What then?” Vaako asked softly.

“The Federation shuttle,” Khan said, already catching up with Riddick’s track of thought. “It’s small, maneuverable, and probably faster than the Necromonger ships.”

“That’s true,” Kirk jumped in. “But where would we go? The shuttle is a short range vessel, not really made for deep space travel.”

“There’s an Elemental ship heading our way,” Vaako said. “Perhaps if we can reach them they’ll take us in.”

“I’ll take those odds,” Riddick said and grinned.

***

Leonard wasn’t sure how much time had passed since Vaako came with the news that they were all in danger. At the moment everyone was gathered around the table. Everyone except Khan, who was leaning against a column with his arms crossed over his chest, head bowed, and eyes closed. _Is he meditating?_ Leonard wondered.

They had looked over the Necropolis blueprints and Lady Vaako had explained where the tunnels she had explored led and where the exits were located. Their best option still seemed to be the exit behind the statue Lady Vaako had originally mentioned. The discussion quickly moved on to the layout of the area, where to take cover, who would move when and who would cover them. Then Jim asked something about the weapons and Vaako launched into an explanation on how gravity guns worked, their range, and so on.

Leonard knew he should be paying more attention to that as well but the gun felt heavy in his hand. He wasn’t scared of fighting or even dying, but the idea of killing didn’t sit well with him, never had. He became a doctor to save lives, not take them. “Is there a stun setting on these things?” He asked.

Vaako looked at him and frowned. “What’s a stun setting?”

There was a chuckle from Khan. “Non-lethal,” the augment explained, and opened his eyes, grinning at Leonard.

“Why the hell would guns be non-lethal?” Vaako asked, his voice harsh with frustration.

“We are not in the habit of killing unless absolutely necessary,” Jim sternly cut in and nodded at Leonard, showing him that he had his back. “It’s going to be alright, Bones, just stay behind me.”

Leonard shivered at the look on Vaako’s face, his own face, twisted with disgust and abhorrence before the Necromonger turned his attention back to their plans. With an apologetic smile, Jim did the same.

Riddick hadn’t even acknowledged the short interruption, instead, he pointed at the map. “We could stay behind the columns here and…”

Leonard stopped paying attention and turned away from the table, his eyes involuntarily shifted to Khan. The augment had his usual cold expression back on but his eyes still watched Leonard with a glimmer of interest in them. Leonard walked towards him, halting a few feet away. “I suppose you’re looking forward to this,” he said, low enough so only Khan would hear. The augment’s reaction was a lazy blink. “Do you even feel fear? Or was that also genetically removed from you along with your empathy?” He had told Jim not to poke the bear and yet here he was, poking it.

To Leonard’s surprise, Khan’s eyes shifted to Riddick and he saw worry soften that normally cold gaze, for just a moment, before the augment looked back at him. “I have fear, doctor, and despite what you want to believe I have empathy as well. I just don’t let emotions stop me from doing what must be done.”

“Very damn Vulcan of you,” Leonard muttered under his breath.

Khan tilted his head, reminding Leonard of a wolf assessing a new kind of prey. “You seem different from the doctors I’ve known. They had no issues with killing or inflicting pain if it meant getting the results they wanted. In fact, they were rather sadistic.”

Leonard wasn’t sure how to react to that. He had poked and now he was being poked back. Was Khan comparing him to doctors while he was under Marcus’s thumb or did he mean further back, his creators? Or worse, both? It seemed Khan had as horrible an opinion of doctors as he had of the augment. “A doctor should save lives,” he finally managed.

Khan didn’t reply, he simply bowed his head and closed his eyes again.

“What are you doing?” Leonard asked him, annoyance making his voice sharper than he had intended but the augment’s calm was starting to get on his nerves. “And what the hell are they waiting for? I thought they’d be storming the gates by now!”

Khan sighed. “I’m trying to listen,” he said. “The guards outside are nervous. I’m guessing because they heard the door locking, but one of them… his heart rate just went up even further.”

Leonard looked at the large double doors. They were at least five or six meters away. “You can hear his heart beating from here?”

There was a muffled noise from outside and Khan pushed off the column. “Yes, and he just shot the other guard.”

More of those muffled sounds followed and Leonard realized it was gunfire just as Khan moved past him to retrieve his weapons from the table.

“They’re coming,” Khan told the others with all the excitement of someone announcing that the sky is blue.

Vaako strode to the door and passed his hand over it. “Some of my guards are attempting to hold them off,” he announced with more than a little bitterness. He turned, his expression grim. “They won’t last long, we should get moving.”

***

Vaako and the others followed his wife through the tunnels. He didn’t have much hope that they would get out of this alive, not after what he had witnessed. His own personal guard, men he had hand picked himself, turning against their own and against him. Cutting down the few that were unaware of this conspiracy before they had even realized who it was that was killing them.

He felt a hand on his arm and turned to look into Riddick’s glowing eyes.

“It’s not your fault, Vaako,” the Furyan said, keeping his voice low.

Vaako looked ahead, at his wife’s tense shoulders and unsteady stride as she hurried down tunnel after tunnel trying to lead them to safety. Wasn’t it his fault? She had tried to warn him countless times but he chose to believe that he was an honorable leader of the Faith and therefore respected. He was a fool.

“In all of Necromonger history there has never been a coup,” he whispered back at the Furyan. “Challenges, yes…”

“Assassination attempts.” Riddick grinned. “You are an honorable man, Vaako,” he said as if he had been privy to his thoughts. “You were never fit to be a Necromonger. It takes a special kind of asshole.”

Vaako was surprised to find that Riddick’s words didn’t anger him as they would have only a couple of days ago. His faith was still strong, but he was no longer sure if it was the same faith his people had. He believed in the Underverse and all it had to offer but was the Necromonger way really the only way? He gave Riddick, the root of his original doubts, a quick glance. “Perhaps you’re right,” he admitted.

Just as they reached an area where the tunnel forked, there was a loud noise and the ground underneath them shook, forcing them to brace against the tunnel’s walls. His wife turned to look at him, her eyes full of fear.

“They broke through the gate,” he said as he regained his balance. “We don’t have much time before they start searching all of Basilica. Are we close to the exit?”

She looked down both tunnels and then back to him. Her eyes, if possible, wider than before and darting left and right as she frantically searched her memory through her crippling panic.

“Nyoka!” Vaako snapped.

He had no idea what possessed him to utter his wife’s breeder name but she froze at the sound of it. She was like a statue in the semi-light of the tunnel, beautiful, still, not even breathing and then there was fire in her eyes. “We’re close,” she said and even though her voice was low there was steel in it. She turned down the right tunnel. “This way.”

They hurried after her and she set a much faster and confident pace than before, it wasn’t long before she stopped and moved a spy-hole cover to look outside. “This is the exit,” she whispered and she turned her head left and right, keeping her eye close to the hole. “I don’t see anyone outside.”

“Will the door make any noise when we open it?” Riddick asked.

She glanced at him. “I don’t know. I never opened this one, too risky.”

“I don’t see that we have much choice,” Vaako said and nodded.

She pressed the mechanism and the door slid open with the barest hiss of metal on stone. They all let out a sigh of relief and Vaako thanked Oltovm The Builder as he moved to the opening. He lifted his gun and put his back against the wall as he bent his head to look outside. His wife did the same from the other side of the opening and nodded to him.

Vaako moved out and ran to Covu’s statue; pressing his back against its base he made a quick survey of the area before waving the others over. “Like we planned,” he whispered to them once they all gathered behind the statue’s large base. “I’ll go first; you cover me and wait for my signal. Try to remain unseen and use the columns for cover. The majority of warriors should be near my private quarters but there might still be patrols in this area.”

Khan and Riddick moved around the base to cover both sides of the Necropolis plaza. Vaako took a moment to center himself. He briefly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. A soft touch on his face made him open his eyes again. He looked into the dark gaze of his wife.

“It’s not our due time,” she whispered.

He took her hand in his own and kissed her palm. “No, it’s not,” he said. “Stay close to Riddick.”

The Furyan acknowledged his words with a glance and Vaako was off, racing across the plaza. He made it to the first column without raising an alarm. He looked around the structure and frowned, there was no one in sight. Even if all the warriors inside the Basilica had gathered outside his quarters there should still be servants or nobles around, but the plaza seemed deserted. He looked up at the second floor where the nobles liked to loiter and watch the plaza but it too was empty. Perhaps the commotion had them all hiding in their rooms.

He signaled the others and Kirk and McCoy made a dash for his position. They kept their guns ready to fire as they ran, their eyes darting over the area. Vaako felt some relief that the two breeders at least seemed to have some experience in battle. They took the correct positions to cover the others as they also began to move. A second wave of relief washed over Vaako when he saw Riddick keeping his wife protectively behind him as he swung his weapon around covering the area, the Furyan’s eyes missing nothing. Vaako nodded once they were all under cover again and headed for the next column, Kirk and Khan on his heels. He could see the hangar door just ahead.

Too easy, a voice in his head kept repeating, this is too easy. Khan and Kirk took positions against the columns in front of the door and nodded the clear to Vaako who made for the door, trusting them to cover his back as he tapped in his code. 

“Take cover!” He heard Khan’s shout, too late as the door opened. He saw a flash of light, followed by massive pressure against his chest and felt his feet leaving the ground before everything went dark.

***

Jim stood across from Khan, covering the plaza and second floor while Vaako tapped in his code. He saw Khan’s head snap around and his expression change to surprise.

“Take cover!” The Augment shouted at him.

A moment later Vaako’s body flew past them. Jim turned and saw the door now fully open with row, upon row of armed Necromongers inside.

Khan backed away into the open space of the plaza and started firing. Jim ducked and dived for cover behind the column, a blast of compressed gravity just missing him and tearing a piece from the column’s corner. He could feel the wall of the column against his back vibrate with each blast. He looked at Khan, expecting the Augment to be blasted away any moment now, just as Vaako had, but the Augment moved too fast. Khan dodged blasts almost casually and fired back with both weapons simultaneously. It was almost like a flashback to the first time they had met face to face, only then it was Klingons instead of Necromongers.

Jim dared to poke his head out and fire a shot. He took cover again quickly when he saw more than a few guns turn his way. The shots hit the column, causing fragments to fly off. This was no good; he couldn’t fire enough shots like this to make any difference and even though Khan was doing an impressive job it was obvious that the Necromonger weapons he held couldn’t keep up with the Augment’s speed. They needed more time to fire and load than phasers would have.

Khan locked eyes with him for a second and made a jerking motion with his head. Jim realized that he was instructing him to move to the next column. He nodded, even though Khan’s attention was once again back on his targets, and made his way to the edge of his cover. He took a couple of quick breaths and made a dash for the other column. Khan must’ve covered his move well, since no shots came his way. He pressed his back against the column and made his way around it to cautiously peek around the other side. The Necromongers attention was on Khan and somewhere off to the left. He understood why when he saw Riddick emerge from behind the column to the left of the door and take down three Necromongers before the big guy took cover again.

Jim aimed; if he started firing from here then the Necromongers would have to split their efforts into three directions. He couldn’t see Khan now, but he saw his work well enough. The Necromongers dropped almost as soon as they stepped out the door, not a single shot from Khan’s direction missed its target.

Jim waited a couple of heartbeats for Riddick to reappear again and started firing concurrently with the big guy. Chaos ensued among the Necromongers, some of them trying to retreat and stumbling over the bodies of the already fallen, while others tried to push out of the corridor to join the fight. A few shots were fired towards Jim’s direction, some wildly missing, others hitting the column as he took cover again. He waited for them to stop and leaned out once more firing as fast as his gun would allow. He saw Riddick advancing, keeping close to the wall and shooting at the now panicked warriors.

Even though the Necromongers outnumbered them, they were stuck in a bottleneck situation, making anyone behind the first couple of lines useless. Khan and Riddick were making short work of those in the front, the blasts slamming some of them back into their comrades, making the second line easier targets and causing even more chaos.

Since none of the attention was on him anymore, Jim abandoned his cover and raced to the column closer to the door. He fired a few shots into the opening for good measure and took cover, looking around for any signs of Bones. The shots now coming out of the corridor were significantly less and Khan was advancing towards it, obviously picking off the few men remaining inside.

Jim leaned out and looked down the corridor, there were less than six of seven men left and even though they were still attempting to shoot the Augment they were in a hurried retreat from him as well. Khan was showing no mercy and by the time Riddick also reached the door all the Necromongers were dead.

Jim ran back the way they came. “Bones?” he called in a panic.

“Here!”

He saw Bones half emerging from behind a column further back, trying to hold onto a very pissed off Lady Vaako, who was attempting to break his hold to go to her husband.

“Clear!” They heard Riddick call out.

Bones let Lady Vaako go and she raced across the plaza to her husband’s still form. Jim exchanged a glance with Bones and followed after her.

The Lord Marshal looked paler than usual, he looked dead. It made Jim’s stomach turn. Even though Bones was now kneeling next to the man, alive and with more color than usual in his cheeks, the image was still disturbing due to their resemblance. He watched as Bones placed his fingers on the man’s neck checking for a pulse, Lady Vaako looking at the doctor with pleading eyes.

“He’s alive,” Bones said, “but barely. He needs medical attention and the sooner the better.”

“Can you help him?” Lady Vaako asked.

“If we get him to the shuttle… I’ll try my best.”

“I’ll carry him,” Riddick said as he and Khan came up to join them.

Khan was not looking at them, however, but rather further down the plaza - in the direction of the Lord Marshal’s quarters. He saw the Augment’s eyes narrow and his brows drew together. “We don’t have much time,” he said. “More are coming.”

“I’m not leaving without my husband,” Lady Vaako whispered and it was obvious by her tone that she didn’t expect them to stay.

Bones looked up at Khan with a dark look. “No one is leaving your husband behind,” he ground out.

Khan only stared at them a moment and then looked at Riddick. Something unsaid passed between the two and Khan sighed. “Fine, help me move the bodies blocking the door, if we close it behind us we’ll at least buy ourselves some more time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its been a stressful week and I've struggled to get this done by today. I feel like it might not be my best work but I didn't want to delay it another week. As always I'm open to any comments and/or constructive criticism.
> 
> A big thank you to LiteraryHedonism for beta-reading this chapter and for their valuable insight!
> 
> And as always thank you to all who have left me comments/kudos, your support means a lot!
> 
> I hope everyone is well. Stay safe!


	23. Chapter 23

Lady Vaako was vaguely aware of the others' efforts to clear the doorway of bodies. Her attention was fixed on her unconscious husband. Their relationship had always been a strange one. She had been a highly coveted mate for many, moving steadily up the female social ranks only months after her conversion. Yet she had set her sights on a lowly warrior, to the disappointment of many high ranking warriors, converted only a year before her. She had seen his potential when others didn’t so she made her move and secured him as her husband. He had been flattered that she chose him but their relationship soon turned to something between loathing and lust, mistrust and need. Together they rose through their respective ranks to aristocracy and finally to lordship. She never, in all their years together, realized how much she loved him until she thought she’d lost him for good.

Now he lay dying, their fate in the hands of a man she never thought would become their ally while hunted by their own people. She reached out and stroked his hair. He had called her by her name, something the Faith strictly forbade. A woman had no possessions of her own, not even her name, only what her husband allowed. She hadn’t heard her name since she had been sixteen, when the Necromongers came to her home world and offered them a choice. Convert or die. She converted but everyone she knew, everyone she had called family and friends didn’t.

“Time to go, Lady Vaako,” Riddick said, pulling her out of her memories.

She looked up from her husband’s pale face and saw that the way was now clear. She nodded. Riddick gently picked up her husband and they followed the others inside the corridor. The door closed and a loud noise made her turn to see Khan smashing the door’s controls with his bare hands. He pulled the wiring out, effectively rendering the door’s automatic mechanisms useless. The man was impressive in his own right; she never thought she would meet someone colder than the Necromongers, but if it had been up to Khan she was sure that she and her husband would have been left behind. She didn’t blame him. She would’ve done the same in his place.

Khan and Kirk took the lead, she and the doctor flanking Riddick, as they hurried down the corridor. They were about halfway to the hangar door when they heard noises behind them. They turned to look and saw the door slightly vibrate as the warriors on the other side tried to break it open. When she turned back she caught Khan eyeing Vaako, then his eyes shifted to hers. She instinctively stood straighter and refused to look away, even though his calculating eyes sent a shiver down her spine. Khan gave her the slightest of nods and turned to keep walking. She glanced at Riddick but the Furyan seemed to have missed the exchange.

They picked up their pace, the noises behind them getting louder. She hurried over to the control panel and typed in her code. LOCKDOWN flashed in big red letters on the controls screen and her heart started pounding inside her chest. She tried again with the same results.

“What’s the holdup?” Riddick growled behind her.

“My code isn’t working, the Basilica is on lockdown!” She turned and her eyes moved from Riddick down to Vaako. “Only the Lord Marshal’s and Commander codes can open this door now.”

Riddick looked down at Vaako. “Not likely,” he said.

Khan moved to the door and pressed his ear on it then she was gently nudged away from the control as Khan took her place. “I know the code,” he said and looked over at Kirk. “Cover the door. I don’t hear anyone but we don’t want any more surprises.”

Kirk nodded and held his weapon aimed at the door, the doctor did the same and after a moment’s hesitation so did she.

“How would you know my husband’s code?” she hissed, keeping her eyes on the door.

“I’m very observant,” Khan said as he began typing the code, “and he used the same code for every door.”

The door opened and thankfully no one was on the other side. Khan and Kirk again took the lead, scanning the hangar with both their eyes and weapons.

“We’re not alone,” Khan warned.

“Not surprising,” she whispered. “There are always guards and engineers in the hangar.”

Riddick put Vaako down on the floor and the doctor immediately moved to him, checking his pulse. He looked up at her and nodded, Vaako was still alive.

“How about you and I go hunting, beastie?” The Furyan said.

***

Leonard knelt next to Vaako who now had a bluish skin color, confirming his fear of a possible collapsed lung. Probably only one of the things he had to worry about, if he understood how gravity weapons worked. Possible internal bleeding was another. He hated guessing but he had absolutely nothing on him to do anything about the man’s injuries, or to even diagnose him properly.

Khan and Riddick had left a while ago to clear the way. They had been hearing guns fire and the occasional shout since. He never thought he’d ever feel relief at the sound of weapons discharge or fear when it stopped. That they heard it meant that Khan and Riddick were still out there but when it stopped they had no way of knowing who came out on top. They were hiding behind a large ship, wedged between two smaller ones, and far enough back against the hangar wall that they were mostly hidden by both the bulk of the ships and the shadows they cast.

Jim kept watch on one side and Lady Vaako on the other. A tough woman that one. Despite her world falling apart around her and her husband getting shot she kept her wits about her. Helping him move her husband here while Jim kept watch over them and then insisting on taking one of the watches so he could focus on her husband. Not that he could do much without his medical equipment.

“They will come back,” Lady Vaako whispered.

Leonard looked up but she was still staring outwards, obviously trying to convince herself rather than anyone else. “Khan has good reason to come back, Lady Vaako,” he comforted her anyway, “and that man is almost unstoppable.”

She turned to look at him as if surprised he heard her, then turned her attention back to her watch. “Call me Nyoka,” she said.

The sound of guns fire made them all tense and quiet once more. Trying to listen and understand what was going on out there but they were only left with their doubts and fears.

“Vaako called you that in the tunnels,” Jim whispered from the other side. “Is it your name?”

“It was once, a long time ago,” she whispered back and there was a slight undertone of sadness in her voice. “I didn’t even know he knew my name. Necromonger women take on the name of their husbands.”

“It’s a pretty name,” Leonard ventured and she huffed a laugh.

Jim made a shushing sound and crouched lower in the shadows, backing further behind the ship. “Necromongers,” he mouthed at Leonard’s questioning look. The two warriors appeared then, heading for the sealed door. They looked baffled at the door’s smashed controls and then back the way they came. Two well-aimed gravity blasts slammed them against the door, ending their lives. Lady Vaako gasped and Leonard whipped around with his gun up to see Riddick holding Lady Vaako’s gun away from his face. The big man glared at him and with a start, Leonard lowered his gun.

“Time to go,” Riddick said and moved in to pick up Vaako.

“Gently!” Leonard scolded him before he could stop himself but amazingly enough, the big man did as he was told without even a sour look at his direction.

Khan stood over the bodies of the two warriors, staring at the door. “They broke through the first door,” he informed them as they approached. “Explosives.”

“Let’s pick up the pace then,” Riddick said.

They practically ran down the lines of ships, finding bodies of Necromongers as they went, and Leonard found himself hoping with all his heart that Khan would stay on their side this time. Because he didn’t think they would ever stand a chance if Khan decided to turn against them again, especially with Riddick at his side. Two men did all this.

“The shuttle!” Jim exclaimed just as Leonard saw it too.

It was a small thing, sitting, dwarfed among the Necromonger ships but Leonard shared Jim’s excitement. It felt like safety. It felt like home.

***

Riddick followed McCoy to the back of the shuttle, the ship's systems coming alive around them as Kirk and Khan took places in front of the controls. McCoy opened the door leading to the small room in the back and Riddick almost grinned. The shuttle was identical to the one he had found Khan inside.

“Put him on the biobed,” McCoy told him as he rummaged through the supply shelves.

Riddick gently arranged Vaako on the narrow bed and looked down at him with a critical eye. His skin had an oxygen-deprived color to it, and his lips were blue. “Need help removing his armor?”

“I’d appreciate it,” McCoy answered, still gathering his supplies.

Riddick had Vaako’s Breastplate removed when the shuttle's engine came on and the slightest of shift indicated that they were in the air.

“At least we’re moving now,” McCoy said and finally came over, with a tray of various, unknown to Riddick, instruments. “Hold this for me, please.”

Riddick took the tray and watched as the doctor took a device and flipped it open. The device started making strange static and beeping noises as the doctor passed it over Vaako’s body.

“Just as I feared,” McCoy said as he looked at the stats the device was displaying. “He has a collapsed lung and the other lung has a small area affected as well.” He put an oxygen mask over Vaako’s face and took a small cylindrical tool off the tray. He pressed it against Vaako’s chest and Riddick could have sworn that color was already returning to Vaako’s face.

A loud noise made them both look toward the door. “Stay here and fix him, doctor,” Riddick said, putting the tray on Vaako’s thighs and walking out. He first saw Lady Vaako, sitting, strapped in on a small bench-like seat against the wall of the shuttle. When their eyes met she shook her head. Frowning Riddick moved to the front of the shuttle where Khan and Kirk sat in front of the controls. He rested his arms on the top of their chairs and leaned forward to look out of the shuttle’s viewport.

They were hovering in front of the hangar bay door, which was still sealed shut. Scorch marks on the metal explained the noise he heard. “Let me guess,” he said, unsure if he should laugh at the absurdity of the situation or be pissed off. “Lockdown.”

“Usually the Quasi-Dead would open the door,” Lady Vaako said. “But…”

“But they don’t feel inclined to,” Riddick finished for her.

“We tried to blast our way through,” Kirk added, “but the phasers on these shuttles are for short-range defense purposes only. That door is just too damn strong for us to blast or cut through.”

Riddick looked down at Khan, he knew him well enough to know that his silence meant he was thinking. “What’s on your mind, beastie?”

Khan tilted his head back and their eyes met. Riddick resisted the sudden impulse to lean down and kiss him. “Lady Vaako said the door can be opened manually,” the younger man said.

Riddick grunted and looked over at her. “How?”

“The manual option is for when the Basilica is on the ground, not in space.” Lady Vaako explained. “It will bypass the Quasi-Deads control but whoever opens the door manually will be pushed out into space and suffocate in seconds.”

“Then it’s not an option,” Riddick said, looking back at Khan. “I don’t care how strong you are, beastie, no oxygen breathing creature can survive open space.”

“We could if we had spacesuits,” Kirk cut in, grinning. “And we do.” He pressed on a few controls and stood. “Excuse me,” he said when Riddick simply glared at him and didn’t budge.

Riddick moved to the side and the young captain headed into the back room. He turned his attention back to Khan. “I’ll go,” he told him.

Khan stood and stepped out of the piloting area. “I appreciate the concern,” he said with some amusement. “But those suits are not made in your size, big guy.”

_Of course not_ , Riddick thought. “I don’t like this, even with the suit it's too dangerous.”

“You want to do what?” McCoy could be heard yelling from the other room.

“Relax, Bones,” Kirk was saying as he came back into the room, holding a kind of suit and helmet. “We’ve done it before.”

“Yeah!” The doctor snapped, following at his heels. “And almost ended up like insects on a windshield!” He grabbed Kirk’s arm and swung him full circle. “Jim, it was insane then and it’s insane now!”

“I’ll be the only one going,” Khan calmly cut them off, his eyes not leaving Riddick’s as he spoke. “I’ll hold on to something during the decompression and you can beam me onboard on your way out.”

Riddick pressed his lips together and looked at the doctor. The man had a similar expression. Kirk too seemed about to argue when the shuttle suddenly lurched, throwing them all off balance. 

“What now?” McCoy exclaimed in exasperation and headed back into the other room, presumably to check on his patient.

The shuttle lurched again and Kirk staggered back to the pilot seat. He pressed on the controls and swung the shuttle about.

“Looks like our friends finally broke through,” Riddick said, peering through the viewport. He could see Necromongers aiming at the shuttle with their rifles while others boarded ships. He looked at Kirk. “Gonna fire back?”

Kirk nodded and did just that. “Khan, suit up! I’m going to beam you as close to the door controls as I can! Lady Vaako, where would those be?”

“Near the door,” she replied, her eyes fixed on the back room, obviously wanting to follow McCoy. “There’s a panel on the wall, left side of the door, you have to press it to get to the controls. It’s shaped like a nonagon.”

Riddick watched as Khan undressed and pulled on the dark grey, skin-tight suit. He didn’t like this at all, he didn’t know what ‘beam’ meant and that suit didn’t look like it would offer much protection. Khan zipped up the suit and walked up to him, helmet in hand. He grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. Riddick leaned into it and wrapped his arms tightly around the slim body. He was even more worried now than before.

“Um… ready?” they heard Kirk ask.

Khan broke the kiss and pulled out of his arms to put on the helmet. It sealed to the suit with a slight hissing sound. “Ready,” Khan said and the suit’s visor lit up with various indications. He stepped away a couple of steps. “I’ll be fine,” he told Riddick and grinned as a swirl of lights enveloped him and he disappeared.

“Don’t worry, big guy,” Kirk said as he fired at the Necromongers below. “I beamed him close to the hangar door and away from all the excitement. I’ll get him back on our way out of here.”

Riddick leaned down close to the captain’s ear. “You better,” he growled.

***

Jim nodded at Riddick’s warning. He had no doubt after what he’d seen that Riddick would tie him in a knot if he lost Khan. Bones had suspected it from day one but he had been on the fence of disbelief, until now. That kiss was not at all something casual. Who would have thought Khan would be capable of caring for something other than his crew? And how much would this complicate things for all of them?

He pushed those thoughts aside and concentrated on covering Khan’s ass as much as possible. He opened a communications channel. “Khan, did you locate the panel?”

“Standby.” Came the curt reply from Khan.

Below them Necromonger ship engines turned on and some began to lift off the ground. Kirk opened fire at the nearest one, causing it to smash into the one next to it. The phasers didn’t seem to have caused much damage on the hull but the ships spun out of control and crashed into two more before they regained some semblance of control. If he could not cause damage he would at least cause some chaos. “Khan, hurry up! They’re deploying ships!”

There was a pause and then the communicator came on. “I found the panel but there’s nothing close by for me to hold on to.”

_Will nothing go right today?_ Jim thought. “I’ll beam you back on board and we’ll find another way.”

“No, there’s no other way,” Khan said. “I’ll open the door and you’ll retrieve me out there.”

“What? No, I’m not Scotty!”

“Get ready, Captain,” Khan said, ignoring him.

Cursing Jim turned the shuttle around just as the door started opening. He reversed the engines so they wouldn’t get pushed onto the door before it was open enough for them to pass through and looked for Khan. He saw him, holding on to the panel by his fingertips. He held on a few seconds before his hands slipped. Khan smashed against the wall a few times, causing a sympathetic wince from Jim, before he was thrown out. He was soon followed by a few Necromongers who had been too slow in boarding a ship.

“Khan?” The door was opening too damn slow. “Come on!” he yelled at it.

“Try him again!” Riddick snapped at him.

“Warning,” the computer voice came on. “Proximity alert.”

Jim looked down at the screen, a Necromonger ship was being pushed out and towards them. He moved the shuttle to the left to avoid it and the shuttle's engines whined at the extra stress of having to work against the push of decompression and the added maneuver.

“The door, now!” Riddick said, pointing at the door.

Jim looked. The door was open enough now that they might just fit through. “Hold on!” Kirk shouted loud enough for all to hear him. He reversed the engines again and they shot forward like a stone from a slingshot. He barely had time to maneuver the shuttle enough to fit through, thankfully the door was still opening and they cleared it with no issues.

It was good to be out into open space under their own power again, but where was Khan? He kept going full speed in the direction the decompression would have flung the Augment and set the computer to scan for his signal. However, they were also fast approaching one of the armada ships. Cold sweat ran down Jim’s spine as he reached to activate the commlink. 

“Khan, can you hear me?” He waited a few moments. He could feel Riddick’s massive presence looming over him. “Khan, respond.”

“I hear you, captain.” Came the reply. The link crackled with static but Khan sounded as calm as ever.

Both Jim and Riddick let out an audible sigh of relief. “Are you okay?” Jim asked. The computer still hadn’t pinpointed Khan’s location and the connection was breaking up but Jim doubted the Augment was too far off. His communicator might’ve been damaged when he bounced off the wall. “I can’t locate your signal.”

“I changed course fifty by seven four eight decrees to avoid collision with the ship ahead.”

Jim entered the course corrections into his computer and coaxed more speed from the engines.

Riddick suddenly leaned over him, a large hand pointing at a speck just ahead. “I see him,” the big guy said, just a second before Khan showed up on the computer’s display screen.

“Good eye,” Jim said, genuinely impressed and also relieved that he’d get to live another day. “Khan, we’re approaching you now. We’re eight hundred meters behind you and closing.” 

“Take your time,” Khan said, almost pleasantly.

Jim glanced at Riddick and saw him grinning. “Was that humor? Did Khan make a joke?”

Riddick looked down at him and his grin grew wider. “How long before you can bring him in?”

Jim looked down at the screen. “Another two hundred meters, I’ll match his speed and beam him onboard. I could try now but moving targets are harder and I don’t want to risk it. The transporter isn’t really my area of expertise.”

He began matching the shuttle’s speed with Khan’s. The Augment either sensing they were close or just curious used the suit’s compressed air to flip himself over and look for them. Jim locked on to his signal.

“Alright, Khan, are you ready to come onboard or are you having too much fun?”

“Kirk…” Khan warned and Jim beamed him onboard.

***

Khan located the nonagon panel and pressed it. Another panel slid to the side to reveal the controls. Behind him, he could hear the shuttle’s phasers and sporadic guns fire of the Necromongers.

“Khan, did you locate the panel?” Kirk’s voice rang in his ears. The slight note of panic in the voice irritated him.

“Standby,” he said and looked around for something, anything to hold on to. There was nothing but open space and smooth walls near the door.

There was a loud noise of phasers and something crashing behind him, followed by Kirk’s voice. “Khan, hurry up! They are deploying ships!”

He turned and saw that the captain was right. A few ships were in the process of taking off the ground and one was already approaching the shuttle. “I found the panel but there’s nothing close by for me to hold on to.”

There was a short pause from Kirk. “I’ll beam you back on board and we’ll find another way.”

Khan looked at the door. When they had entered on Vaako’s ship the door had opened slowly. If he could hold on to the panel long enough maybe he could time it so that he would be expelled relatively safely. “No, there’s no other way,” He answered Kirk. “I’ll open the door and you’ll retrieve me out there.”

“What? No, I’m not Scotty!”

“Get ready, Captain,” Khan said, he had no time for the captain’s doubts on top of his own. He was more durable than most but sometimes it all came down to dumb luck. He punched in the code, took a deep breath, and pressed the release button. The door started to open.

Khan flattened himself against the wall and dug his fingers into the shallow groove of the control panel. It was just enough of an indentation for him to hold onto by his fingertips, as the air inside the hangar rushed out the slowly opening door and lifted him off his feet. He realized his mistake then, as his gloved hands slipped too soon and he went hurtling towards an opening still too narrow for him to pass through safely. Instincts took over and curled himself into a ball in an attempt to protect his helmet’s display and he got smashed repeatedly against the wall. Then the door’s sharp edge was speeding at him and he hit it hard on his left side. 

_Khan._

Khan opened his eyes at the familiar female voice. Instead of open space, there was a forest. Instead of darkness and Necromonger ships, there was a clear blue sky and white, slow-moving clouds. He looked to his right, at the woman standing next to him.

“Shirah?” He looked around again. “Did I lose consciousness?”

Shirah nodded. “You should wake up.”

He frowned. “And how do I do that?”

Shirah grinned. “You just…” She reached into his chest with a glowing hand. “Wake up!” The jolt of energy shot straight to his heart.

Khan opened his eyes to the inky darkness of space, gasping for air and clutching at the left side of his chest. He definitely had a few broken ribs and no time to think about it as he was tumbling uncontrollably towards one of the armada ships. He pressed the controls in his palms, releasing enough compressed air to stabilize himself and checked his helmet’s display for the needed course corrections. 

His helmet indicated he was now on a safe route to nowhere just as his communicator crackled to life. “Khan, respond,” Kirk said over the static noise.

“I hear you, captain.”

“Are you okay? I can’t locate your signal.”

“I changed course fifty by seven four eight decrees to avoid collision with the ship ahead.”

There was a long pause and he started to wonder if he would end up just another object hurtling through space when he felt a familiar warmth in his chest. The Furyan bond tugged at him as if Riddick was trying to reel him in by sheer will alone.

The communicator crackled. “Khan, we’re approaching you now. We’re eight hundred meters behind you and closing.”

Khan grinned and shook his head. “Take your time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning, depending on how my week goes, I might or might not post next weekend. 
> 
> A big thank you to LiteraryHedonism for beta-reading this chapter and for their valuable insight!  
> And as always thank you to all who have left me comments/kudos, your support means a lot!
> 
> I hope everyone is well. Stay safe.


	24. Chapter 24

Leonard wiped his brow with his sleeve and looked down at his patient. Unconscious and medicated, Vaako’s features were relaxed, making him look even more like a younger version of himself. He picked up his medical tricorder and checked the Necromonger’s vitals again. The worst of the internal bleeding he had managed to get under control with the protoplaser. He had removed most of the air from his chest cavity with a chest tube but sealing the punctures in the lung itself was impossible. Shards of bone from the broken ribs had perforated the lung. He had used the bone regenerator for the ribs but he could do nothing for the shards inside the soft tissue. At least not with the tools available to him. There was also extensive bruising on all soft tissue inside the man’s chest, including his heart. Leonard had reached the limits of his medkit. Vaako needed surgery.

The door opened and Riddick walked in with Khan in tow. Leonard spared them a brief glare as he slowly passed the bone regenerator over Vaako’s ribs. It would take a few treatments for the bones to knit properly.

“How is he?” Riddick asked in that deep rumble of his.

Leonard glanced behind them. He could see Lady Vaako - Nyoka, looking hopefully into the room. He had convinced her that her presence would only be a distraction for him and that he needed to focus on her husband. She had graciously, if reluctantly, agreed to stay out of the room. The truth was, he didn’t want her to see her husband circling the drain. Khan closed the door and Leonard turned his attention to the two men.

“There’s not much I can do. His injuries are severe and the medkit only serves as a first aid kit, not for something this extensive.” He noticed then the strange way Khan held himself. “What’s wrong with you?” he asked, his tone more annoyed than it should be for a doctor.

“Nothing,” Khan said, mirroring his tone.

“He probably has a few broken ribs,” Riddick said at the same time. “Would you mind having a look, doctor?”

Years of medical training took over. He grabbed the medical tricorder and approached the Augment. “How did this happen?”

“I made an acquaintance with a wall and the hangar door on my way out.” Khan said and stood stiffly, if a bit hunched over, as Leonard pointed the device at his chest.

“Two broken, and a few fractures. Must’ve been some acquaintance if it broke _your_ bones. Anyone else would’ve been dead,” he said. He checked the readings again and looked up at Khan with amazement at what his tricorder was reading. “Already well on their way to healing though.”

“Like I said,” Khan said with some annoyance. “I’m fine.”

Leonard huffed. “What is it with everyone preferring to suffer than seek medical help? If I remember correctly even your bones will take a couple of days to heal.” He pointed at a small crate. “Sit and lean back against the wall.”

To Leonard’s surprise Khan obeyed, though Riddick crossing his massive arms over his chest and jerking his head at the crate might have had something to do with it.

Leonard retrieved his bone regenerator and knelt next to Khan. “This won’t take long and you won’t feel a thing.” It was a habit to try and reassure his patients but the look Khan gave him told him it was not appreciated at that moment. He shut his mouth and began the treatment. When he finished and looked up, Khan’s eyes were fixed on Vaako.

“Do you have a means for intravenous feeding, doctor?” the Augment asked, almost too quietly.

Leonard glanced at Vaako and back to Khan. “I do, but he’s not at that stage yet.”

Khan looked into his eyes. They were almost the same color as Jim’s but where Jim’s eyes held laughter and mischief, Khan’s only held cold calculation. “He will be, if you use my blood. As I’m sure you’re well aware.”

Leonard was stunned. In truth he had been tempted to ask since he realized how severe Vaako’s injuries were, but he had been sure Khan would refuse, especially after the way he had acquired the Augment’s blood last time. He looked at Riddick, the big guy seemed just as surprised and a bit concerned. “You’re offering?” Leonard asked, looking back at Khan.

Something flashed across Khan’s face that Leonard didn’t recognize then his eyes narrowed dangerously. “We need him to give us a heading if we’re to find the Elemental ship.”

“Oh,” Leonard said, “of course.” For a moment he had thought Khan was capable of basic human decency and compassion. “Roll up your sleeve, I’ll get the syringe.”

As soon as Leonard had his blood sample, Khan left the room without another word. Leonard and Riddick were left watching the augment’s stiff back as he made his way to the front of the shuttle. Riddick closed the door and turned to him, his shimmering eyes cold under furrowed brows.

“He told you,” Leonard said. It wasn’t a question. He could see it on the big guy’s face that he knew. “I didn’t have a choice,” he said defensively.

“Did he?” Riddick said in a low timbre.

Anger made Leonard stand straighter and face the big man. Riddick had only an idea of what Khan had caused them and had no right to judge him for what he did to lessen that loss, just a bit. “Don’t expect me to feel pity for someone like Khan. Not after all he did,” he snapped and turned his back on the big man, striding over to Vaako’s side.

“Pity?” Riddick’s voice came from close behind him and Leonard’s blood ran cold. He hadn’t even heard him moving up behind him. “People like us don’t need anyone’s pity. We will do whatever it takes to survive and protect those very few that we care for. That doesn’t make him a monster.”

Leonard turned and took a step back. Though Riddick was indeed close his posture didn’t seem threatening. “I mean no offence,” he began carefully, “but you don’t seem like him. Sure, you’re big, scary, and ominous… but I’ve seen you show compassion. You carried Vaako all the way to safety. Khan would have left him behind and we both know that. And I’ve seen how you reacted when you heard how many innocent civilians Khan killed. I’m a doctor, I can read people’s expressions. Khan is an out of control psychopath that only cares about getting his crew back. Those other augments are all he cares about.”

“That’s because they were the only ones that ever cared about him. Perhaps the only ones that ever saw who he really is.”

Leonard eyed the big man. “And you think you see who he really is?”

“I do, doctor, and what I see is not what you see.”

_The big guy has it bad,_ Leonard thought. “What _do_ you see?”

Riddick's expression softened. “A wounded animal with a lot of potential.”

Leonard shook his head. He didn’t know what Khan did to earn this man’s loyalty so deeply but the fact that he had it worried him. “Doesn’t mean that that potential is for good, Riddick,” he said cautiously, gently “and a wounded animal is just as likely to bite those that try to help it.”

Riddick tilted his head and the corners of his mouth turned up to the barest of a smile. “Not everything is black or white, doctor. There are many shades of grey in-between and some things do require patience and time.” He looked down at Vaako. “I’ll let you get back to your patient,” he said and walked to the door. His hand hovered over the opening mechanism. “By the way, doctor,” he said, not turning to look at him. “We already have a heading for the Elemental ship, from Lady Vaako.” He opened the door and stepped outside.

The door closed again and Leonard was left standing with the implications of Riddick’s revelation rattling in his head and the sample of Khan’s blood in his hand.

***

Riddick closed the door behind him and stood motionless. He was annoyed with the doctor but he also couldn’t blame the man. He had seen and felt Khan’s reaction when the doctor realized what he was offering. A moment of vulnerability, a need to reach out to another person, then swiftly and brutally stomped on - both inwardly and outwardly with a few cold words.

Riddick took a deep breath and walked to where Nyoka sat - as Lady Vaako wanted to be called now - looking at him expectantly. It was clear that Khan had ignored her pleading eyes and went straight to reclaim his seat on the controls, next to Kirk. “The doctor is still working on him,” he informed her. “But I think he’ll recover.”

Her eyes shone with unshed tears and she nodded. “Thank you, Riddick,” she said in a small voice. When he kept staring at her she rubbed her eyes and sat straighter. “I know what you’re thinking, Furyan, but I do care for my husband.”

Riddick grinned. “You are the only one that ever doubted that… Nyoka,” he told her and moved on. He leaned on Khan’s chair and looked out of the viewport. “Any signs of pursuit?”

“Not since we lost them in that nebula,” Kirk said. “As we predicted the shuttle is a lot faster than their ships.”

“Necromongers are like a dog with a bone. Don’t let your guard down. Vaako tracked me from Helion Prime to Crematoria once. Took him awhile but he found me.”

“Will these Elementals be able to fight them off? Assuming they even want to help us?”

Riddick considered that for a moment. He had never seen or heard of what kind of ships and weapons the Elementals possessed. They had always claimed to be neutral, avoiding conflict and only sending emissaries to move the strings to their liking. They showed up as advisors and disappeared when things got heated. Even when the Necromongers were moving closer and closer to their world, they had only sent Aereon to Helion Prime. Even then, all she did was set Lord Marshal Zhylaw after Riddick. Still, he had to admit that Aereon did get the results she’d wanted. Zhylaw’s death and the Necromonger armada stopped. At least for a few years. “I don’t know,” he answered Kirk. “I’ve never seen an Elemental fight.” 

“I’ve never seen an Elemental,” Kirk chirped and flashed him a grin before turning his attention back to the controls.

Riddick eyed the young captain. He could tell that he made Kirk nervous and he found his attempts of humor to alleviate that kind of cute. He also knew that Khan found those same attempts irritating. Perhaps it was their past but Khan seemed unwilling to offer the young captain a second chance. Now, they were all stuck on this tiny ship with no way to avoid each other but it was more than that. This tension between Khan and Kirk somehow felt…fresher.

“Why don’t you go rest, Beastie? I’d like a chance to fly this thing.” Khan looked at him with a frown but got up anyway. Riddick took hold of his arm as he walked past him. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine,” Khan said and tried to pull away.

Riddick didn’t let go. “Hey now,” he said, forcing Khan to look him in the eyes.

Khan’s eyes flicked to Kirk and back. A clear indication that it was not something he wanted to discuss in front of the captain. “I am tired,” he said finally.

“Kirk, is there anything to eat?” Riddick asked the young captain, who was trying to watch them without appearing to be watching them.

“Oh! Yes, there’s rations in a hatch back there, next to the door,” Kirk said. “This is a new shuttle model so it also has beds, in case landing parties have to spend the night on a planet’s surface.” At Riddick’s steady gaze he stood and squeezed past them. “I’ll go fetch them and pull out the beds.”

Riddick grinned at Kirk’s sudden eager puppy attitude. He turned to Khan when Kirk was far enough in the back. “What is it?”

Khan stared at him for a second, his devil-blue eyes uncertain. “I think Shirah might’ve saved my life out there.”

This was not what Riddick had expected. “What happened?”

“When I broke my ribs… I can’t be sure but I think my heart stopped, or at the least I was out cold. She came to me, like before, and told me to wake up. I believe my heart stopped because this time she put her hand inside my chest. I felt this burst of energy and next thing I know I was awake. Just in time to avoid another collision.”

Riddick squeezed Khan’s arm. He hadn’t realized he’d come so close to losing him. All he wanted to do now was hold him but he knew Khan’s ribs were probably still sore and the Beastie hated showing affection in front of others. “I’m starting to lose count on what I owe that ghost woman,” he said, his voice coming out a bit hoarse.

Khan reached up and stroked his cheek then leaned in and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. “There is something else I need to discuss with you but it will be a long discussion,” Khan said. He sounded exhausted and worried. He ran his thumb over Riddick’s cheek one more time and then let his arm drop. “I’d rather do it somewhere more privately when possible.”

Only one thing could have Khan so worried. “Is it about your family?” Riddick asked. Khan nodded so Riddick didn’t push the matter. “Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out.” The sudden feeling of doubt through the bond was unexpected but Riddick managed to keep his expression neutral. “Go get your food. I know how much you need it after such an injury.”

Khan nodded and got away a bit too eagerly. Their bond seemed to be getting stronger, and neither of them seemed to be in control of it. It was another thing they never really had the time to stop and consider. Riddick watched as Khan paused in front of Nyoka and after a moment’s hesitation held his hand out to her. She looked up surprised and then accepted his hand. She almost seemed grateful for Khan’s attention. Perhaps they both needed a bit of distraction. They walked together to the back of the shuttle where Kirk was retrieving small packets from inside a hatch.

Kirk handed them the packets and then pulled out two beds that had been folded into the shuttle’s walls. The mattresses were so thin that Riddick doubted they’d make much difference from the floor. Nyoka gratefully accepted one of the two beds and sat staring at the rations packet in her hands. Khan waited until Kirk was heading back to the front of the shuttle before sitting on the other bed.

“It’s not much,” Kirk said, handing Riddick one of the packets, “and tastes like nothing if you ask me, but its food.”

“Don’t go getting my hopes up,” Riddick joked, accepting the food. He opened the packet aware the whole time that Kirk was watching him. The captain wanted to ask him something and he seemed about to burst with it. “Ask,” Riddick said and took a bite of the brown stuff inside the packet. It did taste like nothing.

“You and Khan,” Kirk instantly blurted, though he kept his voice low. “How did that happen?”

Riddick smiled. “Well when two people really like each other...” he paused and Kirk shifted uncomfortably. “It’s nobody’s business how.”

Kirk raised his hands. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

Riddick took pity on the captain. He did like the man, he was unlike any human he had met so far. Those being mostly mercs. Kirk was intelligent, obviously accomplished, and had his share of bad times, yet he was still starry eyed and sometimes childlike. “Is it really that strange to you?”

Kirk shook his head. “Normally, if he were anyone else, no. I just have a hard time picturing Khan being anything other than a, well… a weapon of mass destruction.” Riddick was about to tell the captain off but the man kept going. “I guess I’m realizing there’s a lot more to him than we thought. It’s a shame Marcus’ was the one that found him. Makes me wonder how different things could have been otherwise, you know? I mean...I can see how different he is with you. Even though he tries to hide it, it's in his eyes when he looks at you.”

Riddick stared. The boy saw more than he let on. Khan had said that the doctor used his blood to bring his captain back to life. That would mean the man now standing before him. Was this some misguided attempt on Kirk’s part to repay that unwillingly given gift of life? Or was Kirk really this willing to try to forgive and look for the good in Khan? Riddick looked at Khan and their eyes met. He was sure Khan’s augmented ears had picked up everything said but all he sensed from him was a cold wall.

“I guess we’ll never know,” Riddick said and looked back at the captain. “Are you going to show me how to fly this thing or what?”

***

Khan tried to focus on his meal but he couldn’t help not hear the strange turn Riddick’s and Kirk’s conversation had taken. When Kirk called him a weapon he felt a tendril of anger coming through the bond and he finally allowed himself to look at them. The next words out of Kirk’s mouth surprised Khan as much as he felt Riddick’s surprise through the bond. Riddick looked at him then, their eyes met for a moment, and Khan pushed all emotions away, focusing back on his food.

“You love him, don’t you?”

Khan looked at Lady Vaako. He had liked the Necromonger woman from the moment they met. Even more after the tour she gave him around Necropolis. She was smart, ruthless and manipulative - always looking for ways to turn any situation to her advantage. They had verbally fenced throughout his tour, each trying to gain information to their advantage and none coming out on top. It had resulted in a mutual respect of sorts. He had also recognized something else in her, something that was inside him and all his brothers and sisters. A need to belong and a spirit that refused to be broken. She was not like the other Necromongers. She had kept the parts of herself that were her, even if hidden. She reminded him a bit of Suzette, his favorite sister, which was why he offered his blood for Vaako, even though he hadn’t planned to.

“I do,” he said finally, giving in to her unwavering gaze.

She glanced at the door, her expression sorrowful for a second before she schooled it back to its usual arrogance. “I hated him.”

Khan frowned, unsure if she meant Riddick or Vaako.

“He was in my way for years. I had great plans for Vaako and with the edge of a blade Riddick shattered all those plans.” She looked down at the untouched rations pack. “Now you two are the only reason we even made it out of that vipers nest alive.”

“I thought Necromongers didn’t have much use for life,” Khan said, the conversation making him a bit uncomfortable.

She laughed bitterly. “Unlike my husband, I never had much faith. Actually, I hate those fanatical idiots. I just played the game, though it seems I lost.” Her eyes again drifted to the door.

“You haven’t lost,” Khan said, he didn’t know why he tried to comfort her. Perhaps because he didn’t want to see that spirit break now. “Vaako will pull through and there will be more challenges for you to manipulate him towards.”

He grinned when her eyes turned back to him and narrowed, then she grinned back. “What about you? What’s your grand plan? I can tell you’re not the kind of man that would retire to an uninhabited planet… unlike Riddick.”

Khan leaned back against the wall and looked at Riddick. The big guy seemed absorbed in his shuttle flying lesson, even laughing at something Kirk said. “No, I’m not,” Khan said and took another bite of his rations.

“He tried before, you know. There was this little breeder… I mean, this young woman. Kyra, I believe was her name. Riddick tried to save her but Lord Marshal Zhylaw killed her right before his eyes. I didn’t know much about Riddick before that day, other than the fact that he won the throne I so coveted, but now I believe that was the day he truly decided he was better off alone. I was surprised when he left his solitude for you.” 

Khan didn’t speak. He didn’t know what to say to that. Though he imagined that this Kyra was the ‘her’ Riddick had accused him of acting like once, right after their fight in the shuttle.

Nyoka sighed. “Perhaps I’m losing my edge,” she said after a short silence between them. “But I think we’re both wrong.”

He looked back at her and frowned. “And what are we wrong about?”

She smiled. “It’s not about what you accomplish, or how.” She threw a meaningful glance in Riddick’s direction. “It's who’s at your side when you do.”

Khan thought of the Federation’s offer for the hundredth time since they’d been trapped in this shuttle. He wanted to talk to Riddick about it but he wanted it to be a private conversation. He was also worried of Riddick’s reaction. Would the big guy understand? Khan wasn’t even sure if he himself had made up his mind yet.

“Nyoka,” he hesitated. “During our tour you told me that all Necromongers are converts. Do you remember your people before you were converted?”

“Of course,” she said. “I was sixteen at the time. I had a family, friends, my home planet was a peaceful one, beautiful. I think of them often but they are all long dead.”

Khan leaned forward. “If you had a choice, to go back to that time, see your family and friends again or stay here with Vaako. What would you choose?”

Nyoka put the rations pack down on her bed and got up. She walked over and sat next to him, taking his hand in hers. “I would let the past be and do what I can for a better future with Vaako,” she said. “The gods know I don’t ever want to be a Necromonger again, I never wanted that, but even if I could go back I’m not the same person. I won’t be the Nyoka my family remembers. I’d be but a shadow of who I was to them.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek. He looked at her both surprised and confused. She smiled, a genuine smile. “It’s okay to change, Khan. It’s okay to want things for yourself.”

Those last words were like an echo from his past. Suzette had said those exact same words to him once. It’s okay to want things for yourself. He let go of Nyoka’s hand and instead wrapped his arm around her. She leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder. 

“I used to sit like this with my brother on our front porch,” she whispered. “We’d watch the stars for hours.”

“I did the same with my sister,” Khan said and leaned back against the wall, wrapping both arms around her. She curled up against him and changed the position of her head to his chest. It wasn’t long before she fell asleep in his arms.

“Khan?”

Khan opened his eyes. He didn’t remember closing them. Had he fallen asleep? He looked up and saw doctor McCoy leaning over him. The doctor looked questioningly at Nyoka, still sleeping in his arms, and then raised an eyebrow at him. Khan frowned at the man in response then slowly and gently disentangled himself from Nyoka without waking her. 

“What is it, doctor?” he whispered once he was free to stand.

“Come inside,” the doctor said and opened the door.

Khan glanced at Nyoka and followed the doctor, closing the door behind them. He looked down at Vaako. The Necromonger seemed better, at least there was more color on his cheeks. Perhaps even more than there should be for a Necromonger. He looked at the doctor who stood silently by and watched him. “Do you need more blood?” he asked impatiently.

“I’m not sure,” McCoy said. “Your blood did an amazing job with the internal bleeding and bruising but… there are still pieces of bone inside his lung.”

“My blood is not a miracle cure, doctor,” Khan said, trying to be patient. “My body would eventually expel those but no matter how much of my blood you transfuse into him it won’t turn him into an Augment. You’ll have to remove those with surgery.”

“I guess I hoped for more… since it worked so well on Jim.”

“The captain had radiation poisoning. I was specifically designed to be resistant to that. Nuclear wars and all.”

The doctor’s eyes widened but he recovered quickly. “There’s something else.” He picked up his tricorder and clicked on a few buttons. “When I first took scans, I noticed that Vaako’s nerves were damaged. It seemed to be on purpose and done a long time ago, he must’ve felt little pain when injured. I’m guessing that was part of the conversion procedure Necromongers go through. And he was sterile, also from a procedure.”

“You keep saying was.”

“Well, he isn’t anymore. You say it's not a miracle cure but...” He waved his hand over Vaako’s body.

Khan’s interest peaked. He held out his hand and McCoy gave him the tricorder. He looked at the information carefully and then at the doctor. “I don’t know what to tell you, doctor, this shouldn’t be possible. My blood has never healed old injuries before.”

“Well, none of the superficial scar tissues were affected.”

_Neither were Riddick’s,_ Khan thought. “Is Vaako human?”

McCoy shrugged. “As far as I can tell, yes. If there’s any other species in his genetic composition it's too far removed to show on a tricorder. I’d need more specialized equipment to be sure.”

Khan gave the tricorder back to the doctor and looked down at Vaako’s face. There _was_ more color there than before, even from before he was injured. “Is he out of danger?”

“For now,” McCoy said. “Let's hope that ship we’re meeting has a decent sickbay or those shards of bone will cause an infection and he might lose his lung.”

“Not if you keep an eye on it and inject him with my blood in the infected area.” He hesitated. “Though I would recommend against using it, unless absolutely necessary, and even then with caution and as little as possible. We don’t know what other effects it will have on him.”

“I’ll need more blood then, just in case.”

Khan nodded and rolled up his sleeve. McCoy took hold of his arm as he drew more blood with the syringe but didn’t let go when he was done. Instead, he held on and looked him directly in the eyes.

“You’re doing a good thing here, Khan. Thank you.”

Khan pulled his arm back and frowned at the doctor. “I think you’ve been working too hard, doctor,” he said, adding a bit of a growl to his voice.

The door opened behind him before the doctor could respond and Kirk leaned in. “You’re gonna want to see this!” the captain said and rushed back to the front of the shuttle.

Khan and McCoy exchanged glances and followed. Nyoka jumped up from the bed at the sight of the doctor and he paused to speak with her. Khan didn’t, he walked to the front of the shuttle and leaned over Riddick to look out the viewport. A massive ship was approaching them.

“That’s a beauty,” Kirk breathed in awe from the pilot seat. “It almost looks like it's made of crystal.”

Khan couldn’t argue with that. The ship was shaped much like the Vulcan combat cruisers he had studied, only three times the size, and made out of some silvery metal that reflected light almost like a crystal would. There was a beep from the controls panel and the communications indicator flashed.

“We’re being hailed,” Kirk said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! This story is nearing its conclusion, I think 3 or 4 more chapters to go. We shall see :) I hope you're enjoying it so far and as always I welcome your comments and thoughts. Be well and stay safe, everyone. <3
> 
> A big thank you to LiteraryHedonism for beta-reading this chapter and for their valuable insight! Please head over to their account and check out their stories. I highly recommend! 
> 
> And as always thank you to all who have left me comments/kudos, your support means a lot!


	25. Chapter 25

Jim opened the shuttle door, he could see an older woman and two, much younger, large men patiently waiting for them to step out. They kept a respectful distance of about ten meters from the shuttle and had no weapons on them as far as Jim could see. He looked over at the others. “Will this be awkward if Vaako isn’t here to greet them?”

Riddick pulled his goggles over his eyes and stepped forward. He put his hands on the door’s frame over his head and leaned out to see who was outside. “That one there is Aereon, I know her,” he said and added as he stepped outside. “She once put a one point five million bounty on my head.”

Jim nodded then realized what Riddick had said. “Wait, what?” he asked as Khan stepped past him to follow Riddick, not even sparing him a glance.

“This can’t be good,” Bones muttered, coming to stand next to Jim and peering outside. “After you, Jimbo.”

Riddick and Khan stopped only a couple of meters from the shuttle and looked back at them impatiently. “Stay in the shuttle with Nyoka, Bones,” Jim said. “After all, you have a patient.”

“Works for me,” Bones said and stepped back. He nodded to show Jim that he understood. If anything went wrong he’d beam them back into the shuttle. What they would do after that, well, they’d have to improvise.

Jim caught up with Riddick and Khan, who had begun walking again, and fell in next to Riddick. “So... she hates you?”

Riddick glanced at him. “No, she wanted my help.”

“Interesting way to get it,” Jim said, wondering not for the first time what kind of world this future was.

Riddick’s only reply was a low guttural sound. The Elementals were now moving towards them as well and Jim had to blink a few times to make sure he was seeing right. As soon as the older woman, Aereon, began to walk she seemed to dissolve into a transparent, human-shaped mist. Jim only kept walking because Riddick and Khan did, otherwise he was almost convinced that a ghost was coming at them. Like in those old movies Chekov loved to watch. It never went well for the living.

“Riddick,” the woman said as she came to a stop in front of them and solidified once again. She smiled and all of Jim's initial unease evaporated at the warmth of that smile. “It is good to see you again.” The two men, almost Riddick’s size but not quite, stood behind her, their expressions neutral as they surveyed their guests. Jim sensed no hostility from them, not even cautiousness, just a mild curiosity as their eyes moved to each of them. 

“Aereon,” Riddick greeted her. “Seems like every time I meet you I have Necromongers on my ass.”

She grinned impishly. “The first time it was mercs... and then Necromongers. Won’t you introduce me to your friends?”

Riddick let out what could’ve been a sound of agreement or a low growl. “The blue-eyed devil on my left is Khan.” She bowed her head at the Augment then looked at him for what felt to Jim like a long moment. She seemed to search for something. “The baby blues on my right is Kirk,” Riddick went on.

Aereon pulled her eyes off Khan with some reluctance and looked at Jim. “Ah,” she said and smiled at him. Jim couldn’t help but return her smile. “James T. Kirk, our time traveling captain.” Her smile widened at the look of shock on his face. “Vaako’s message was very detailed,” she explained and her eyes drifted to the shuttle behind them. “Where is the Necromonger? Though I see his likeness before me I know that’s not him next to his wife.” 

Jim looked back at the shuttle and saw Bones, still standing at the door, with Nyoka standing awkwardly behind him. “That’s my medical officer,” Jim explained. “Doctor Leonard McCoy, also a time traveler.” He looked back at Aereon and grinned. “As for the likeness, it took us by surprise too.”

“Vaako was severely injured during our escape from the Necromongers,” Khan cut in. “The doctor did all he could but he’ll need surgery.”

Aereon again bowed her head at Khan before looking back at Jim. “I’m deeply sorry our century has not treated you well, Captain,” she said. “With your permission, I would have your friend and Vaako’s wife join us, while I send our medical staff to see to Vaako's transfer to our medical facility.”

Jim glanced at Riddick and the big man nodded. “Of course.” He waved Bones and Nyoka over. Once they had joined them he made proper introductions between them.

Aereon held her hand out to Bones who seemed surprised at the familiar gesture and even more surprised once their hands met. Jim wondered if her hand felt somehow ethereal. “Doctor McCoy, your reputation precedes you. It is a great honor to meet you.”

Bones’ eyes widened. “You know of me? How?”

“Elementals are the guardians of balance in the universe. It is our duty and privilege to preserve all knowledge and history for without knowledge of the past, how are we to have a future?” Nyoka audibly snorted at that and the Elemental’s attention turned to her. “I also remember you, Necromonger.”

Nyoka stood straighter. “Of course you do,” she said derisively. “One should always remember those they manipulate or there might come a time they’ll regret it.”

“Indeed they should but I’ve told you before, Necromonger, save your threats. Especially now that you find yourself alone and faithless.” Aereon’s smile was both pitying and challenging.

“Aereon,” Riddick said and gave Nyoka a glare before continuing, “let's get moving.”

“Furyans,” Aereon said looking meaningfully at Jim. “They don’t appreciate the simple pleasantries that the rest of us do.” She waved a hand at the two men escorting her and one of them turned around and strode to a door. Once he was gone Aereon turned to Riddick. “He will summon the healers for Vaako. If you would follow me.”

“I wish to stay with my husband,” Nyoka said firmly.

“Very well. Petram will stay with you and escort you to us once you are satisfied with your husband’s treatment and safety,” Aereon said, and the remaining Elemental man bowed his agreement.

“I should stay as well,” Bones said. “He is my patient.”

Aereon nodded and turned, her form dissolving once again into that mist-like state as she began moving. Though being this close now Jim noticed that it was more like her body reacted to the air around her, disappearing where it touched her and visible where it didn't. Always fluid and always shifting. 

***

Riddick couldn’t help but feel some melancholy as they followed Aereon through the Elemental ship. His reaction to seeing her for the first time was putting a knife to her throat and demanding that she take the bounty off his head. Her nature hadn’t impressed him at all, few things did, but he could still understand Kirk’s reaction, the young captain was awed by her. As for Khan, he took it as he usually did, with a cold stare and ready to kill if need be. 

Riddick had been much the same a few years ago but he had changed. He met people worth meeting, people whose deaths he regretted, who died because he had been too stubborn to see that some things were worth fighting for. Abu al-Walid the Imam who put his faith in Riddick to save his world and family, because he thought of Riddick as a friend, someone who might care for them. The holy man died to protect his family when he thought Riddick wouldn’t help. Kyra, who saw him as a big brother and felt betrayed by his absence, then gave her life for him anyway. These things… These people, their deaths and the guilt that followed had softened him, tamed the beast within, made him give people a chance before putting a blade at their throat. They were the reason he had given Khan that chance, instead of letting him die in the cryotube. He wished for Khan to come to that realization without the losses he had endured. He felt a hand touching his arm and looked to his left. 

“Is something wrong?” Khan whispered, his expression worried.

Riddick covered his hand with his own and smiled. “Just memories, Beastie.”

Khan nodded, his expression softening, he then looked around and frowned. Riddick followed his line of vision and saw a small group of Elementals staring at them. They pretended to go about their business as soon as they realized they’d been spotted but their eyes kept darting their way. They seemed extremely curious, even a bit awed by their guests. Aereon was the only Elemental Riddick had met, until now, so he wasn’t sure if this behavior was normal. Maybe they were more isolated than he thought and strangers were a rare sight.

Aereon took a turn and they found themselves walking down a long corridor. “Would you prefer a few moments of rest or a meal first?” she asked.

Riddick looked at Khan before answering. “A few moments of privacy would be good and a shower if possible.”

Aereon laughed quietly. “I believe we can arrange that.”

A door opened and a young woman stepped out. At the sight of them she gasped and nearly flattened herself against the now closed door.

“Ah, Floga my dear,” Aereon said, waving the girl over. She came on shaky legs, her eyes darting between them wildly before she lowered them to the floor and held them there. “Floga, our guests will need rooms. Could you arrange that?”

“Gladly,” the girl said in a small trembling voice. “Ten rooms are available for immediate use. How many rooms will be needed?”

Aereon looked at Riddick with a knowing grin. “I assume you and Khan will share?” at this the girl’s eyes quickly darted up and just as quickly lowered to the floor again when they met Khan’s icy gaze.

“You assume right,” Riddick said.

“And what of you and the doctor, Captain Kirk?”

“Please, call me Jim,” Kirk said with a smile, then hesitated.

Aereon smiled back. “Perhaps one room with two beds?” she suggested gently but obviously amused. 

Kirk blushed and nodded. “That would be great, thank you. Would it be possible to check on my friend before I retire?”

“Yes, I would also like to check on Vaako,” Aereon said. “I will accompany you. Floga, would you mind escorting Riddick and Khan from here on?”

“It would be my pleasure,” the girl squeaked. 

“I will see you at dinner,” Aereon said and headed back the way they came with Kirk.

“This way, please,” the girl said and led them further down the corridor.

“I expected a ship of this size to have more people,” Khan commented. 

The girl visibly jumped at the sound of Khan’s voice and Riddick exchanged a curious glance with him. He shrugged, putting it down to her young age.

“This area is usually empty during this time,” she said and quickened her pace slightly. “Most everyone is on duty now and this corridor is where the sleeping quarters are.” She paused in front of a door and checked the symbol on it. “This will be your room,” she said and opened the door.

Riddick stepped inside and raised an eyebrow. He had never seen a room this clean and this luxurious in all his life. It had a light grey floor, only a shade darker than the walls. Right across from the door was a large sofa and a short, round, white table. Behind the sofa was an impressively large viewport that curved upwards almost taking half the ceiling. The walls were decorated with paintings depicting element themed images and there were even shelves with books and other art items. To the right was a door that he assumed led to the bathroom and to the left, through an archway, he could see a large bed decorated with more than needed pillows. He never felt more out of place. Khan on the other hand moved around the room with a clearly pleased expression on his face. 

“You can find refreshments in here,” the girl said, pointing at a cupboard next to the door. There was even a small dining table next to it with four chairs. “Would there be anything else?” she asked, her eyes fixed on Khan. 

He paused in his perusal of the room and looked at Riddick then at the girl. “Is there a way to dim the lights?”

“Yes, my Lord.” She turned to the controls next to the door, tapped twice and then dragged her finger down. The lights dimmed. “Will this be sufficient?”

Riddick removed his goggles and nodded at Khan’s questioning look. 

“Yes, thank you,” Khan told the girl. “That will be all.” 

Riddick grinned. He could definitely see the emperor inside Khan at that moment.

The girl bowed, her cheeks turning a bright pink. “My lord,” she said and left the room, closing the door behind her.

***

Khan watched the door close and then slowly turned his attention to Riddick. He had both looked forward to and dreaded the moment they would finally have a moment alone. 

“You seem to have a little admirer,” Riddick commented.

Khan glanced at the door. “People her age are usually drawn to power and rarely understand the dangers of it.” They stared at each other for a long moment and Khan suddenly wished that alcohol did work on him. “Would you like a drink?”

“No,” Riddick said and approached him. 

Riddick’s eyes bore into Khan’s and he found himself holding his breath. He reached a hand up to Riddick’s chest and placed it over where the mark would be but got no answers there. Riddick wrapped his arms around him and pulled him against him, kissing him. It was a long, gentle kiss with no demands, and Khan wrapped his arms around Riddick’s shoulders, his anxiety rising all the same.

Riddick’s hands moved to his hips and gently pushed him back, breaking the kiss. “You’re shaking,” Riddick said, trying to meet Khan’s eyes again.

Khan looked away and took hold of Riddick’s hand, pulling him to the sofa. He was shaking, he felt as if his knees were too weak to support him and if he didn’t sit down then he would fall down. Not long ago this would have been so easy, but now he felt as if his heart was waging a war with his mind. Though which side was fighting for what, even that was unclear. He had Riddick sit on the sofa and he sat on the small table facing him but kept his eyes downcast. “Before we escaped from the Necromongers, Kirk and I had a discussion while you were sleeping,” he began. Riddick remained silent, waiting for him to continue. “He said they came here to find me because the Federation, a large interstellar government of which Starfleet is part of, had a proposal for me and my people.” He rubbed his face, took a deep breath, and looked up into Riddick’s eyes.

Riddick leaned forward and took his hands into his, rubbing his thumbs over Khan’s knuckles gently. “Tell me,” was all he said.

Khan launched into the discussion he’d had with Kirk and the doctor, his thoughts and fears on it as well as his hopes for his people. He felt his heart constrict when he told him about the embryos, a new generation he would never get to see, a generation that he hoped his family would raise right and with the love they never had. Riddick listened carefully without interruptions, stroking his hands soothingly the whole time until Khan ran out of words. A long silence fell between them and Khan felt like a small boat tied to a tiny wooden dock while a hurricane raged around him.

“Riddick,” he said, unable to force his voice higher than a whisper. “I don’t know what to do.”

Riddick let go of his hands and instead pulled him onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around him and kissed his neck. “I can’t tell you what to do,” he said gently. “I can only tell you that I don’t want to lose you, especially if it means you spending the rest of your life in a slam or getting put back on ice. I want you to stay here, with me.”

Khan shifted to look down at him and stroked Riddick’s cheek, searching the big guy's face. He didn’t know what he had expected. Anger. Shouting. Accusations. Instead, all he saw was pain and hope. “I want that too, but I don’t think I can live with myself if I fail my people again and I don’t know if I can bear failing you. You are as important to me as my family.”

“You could never fail me,” Riddick said and kissed him briefly on the lips. He stroked Khan’s thigh, his large hand sending waves of comfort up Khan’s body. “But I can’t just let you become their prisoner without a fight. Kirk seems like an honorable guy and we have Elementals at our disposal, if there’s something they are good at its finding a balance, we could try to find a better solution.”

Khan nodded. He doubted that Kirk had enough pull in the Federation to offer a different solution, or even that he would want to if he could. The captain had made it clear that he wanted Khan to face justice for what he’d done in his time, but perhaps he would be insightful enough to offer Riddick some comfort through a few lies. Khan took a stuttering breath as he realized in that moment that he had made up his mind. He loved Riddick, and he was just as important, but his family still lay helpless in cryosleep. They were at the mercy of others and not even aware of it. He would go back and offer himself for his people even if his heart shattered. Even if pieces of it remained behind, with the man who had proven that Khan Noonien Singh was capable of love outside his own family.

***

Being among the Necromongers it had been easy for Leonard to believe the future would be a bleak, cold, and perhaps cruel occasion. The Elementals quickly changed his mind. They were a warm people, eagerly accepting him inside their healer ranks once he explained who and what he was. They had listened to him carefully as he went over his treatments of Vaako’s injuries and invited him in while they performed the surgery needed to remove the bone fragments from the Necromonger’s lungs. The procedure had been nothing short of a miracle to Leonard’s eyes and Vaako was well on his way to recovery. 

“Doctor McCoy, a moment please.” One of the older healers called to him from a medical station she’d been running tests on.

He joined her at the station and looked down at the screen. He couldn’t read the language displayed there but he couldn’t deny the beauty of the script. It looked like flames, water, air and nature, yet delicate, even ethereal. “What can I do for you, Voda?” He made a point to learn everyone’s name.

“In my analysis I have detected traces of DNA that does not belong to our patient. I was curious to know if you can explain this? It seems that this infusion has greatly assisted with the recovery of the patient but it is now too broken down for me to analyze further.”

Leonard chewed on his bottom lip. In his excitement to learn about the Elemental medical practices, he had forgotten about Khan’s blood. In truth, he was curious to know why the blood, so powerful in its own right, practically self destructed as soon as its purpose in the body was met. Had it been designed that way by Khan’s creators to stop others from using their augments to make more? Or was it simply a coincidence?

“Doctor McCoy?”

“Hmm? Oh, yes. I’m afraid I can’t disclose that information without permission.”

Voda bowed her head respectfully and smiled. “Would you like to give the good news to our patient’s mate then?” 

Leonard smiled back. “Are you sure? That’s any healer's favorite part.”

Voda’s smile widened. “You did most of the work, doctor, the joy is all yours. Tell her she may come in and sit with him.”

Leonard nodded and stepped out of the sickbay and into the waiting room. He was pleasantly surprised to see that Jim and Aereon had also joined Nyoka. 

“How is Vaako?” Nyoka said the moment she saw him.

Leonard’s smile was all she really needed to know but he spoke all the same. “Fit as a fiddle! He should be awake in a few minutes. Would you like to wait inside?”

“Yes,” she rushed to the door but paused to take his hands. “Thank you,” she said squeezing his hands briefly before going inside.

“Now what are the odds of that,” Aereon said, her grey-blue eyes twinkling with amusement as she stared at the door Nyoka disappeared into. She looked at Leonard and smiled. “You must be exhausted, Doctor. Would you like to be shown to your room now?”

“If it's not too much trouble, I would like to remain close to my patient. At least until he wakes up.” Leonard said, smiling back. The woman had a highly contagious smile.

“As you wish, Doctor. I’m sure our healers will be pleased to have you as their guest in their mess hall. It’s this way,” Aereon said and led the way. They had met a few alien races during their time in Starfleet, but Aereon’s ability to change into mist every time she moved would take some getting used to.

Jim fell in next to him and leaned in. “Told you things would work out in the end,” he whispered, offering Leonard a cheeky grin.

Leonard shook his head, even though he felt more optimistic under Elemental care than he did Necromonger care he still wasn’t home. “We’re not at the end yet, Jim.”

***

Vaako’s eyelids felt heavy. He could see light, turned red from his own blood, through his eyelids and he tried to force them to open. Someone applied a cold, wet cloth over his forehead and eyes and that helped. He sighed and tried again. 

“Vaako?”

He opened his eyes slowly and squinted at the figure next to him. His vision cleared and he saw that it was his wife. “What happened?” His throat was dry and his voice came out like a croak.

She ignored his question and held his head up gently while she put a glass to his lips. Cold water lapped at his dry lips and he eagerly opened his mouth to suck it in. “Easy,” she said but patiently waited for him to have his fill.

“Where are we?” he asked, his voice much stronger now.

“Aereon’s ship,” she said, putting the glass away and folding her hands on her lap. “You were badly injured. Riddick had to carry you out.”

Vaako frowned, he felt tired but not badly injured. “How long has it been?”

“Less than two days.”

He let out an exasperated sigh. “Then you are obviously exaggerating about my injuries, Lady Vaako.”

“Nyoka,” she said.

“What?” Vaako tried sitting up. He felt some soreness in his chest but nothing he couldn’t ignore.

“My name is Nyoka,” she repeated more firmly. She stood and glared down at him. “I will go fetch the doctor.”

Vaako stared after his wife’s retreating back dumbfounded. He shook his head remembering that it was he who had called her by her breeder name in the tunnels. He had himself to blame for that. He looked around him. The Elemental ship, or at least the room he was in, was bright with white walls and cream floors, nothing like the dark, lifeless colors of his armada ships. His mood darkened as he realized it was not his armada anymore.  
He threw the sheet off him and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Searing pain ran up the back of his thighs and he gasped, frozen mid motion. It felt like a thousand needles prickled his skin where it touched the bed. The sensation slowly faded and he tentatively tried moving again only to have it return as soon as he did. Only it wasn’t burning. His skin didn’t seem sore or blistered in any way. He touched the top of his thigh with his hand and got the same sensation. He didn’t know how or why but he could _feel_. The door opened and McCoy walked in with Lady Vaako. They frowned at seeing him precariously perched and motionless on the edge of the bed.

“What have you done to me?” Vaako growled at them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello,
> 
> I hope everyone is well and keeping safe. If you're feeling up to it, let me know what you think of the story so far. Is there something you'd like to see happen? Something you're not sure of? As always I welcome all comments. :) 
> 
> A big thank you to LiteraryHedonism for beta-reading this chapter! Please head over to their account and check out their stories. I highly recommend!
> 
> And as always thank you to all who have left me comments/kudos, your support means a lot!


	26. Chapter 26

“Don’t touch me!” Vaako snapped as the doctor came close to him. He tried to move away and gasped as his skin felt like it was on fire again. The pins and needles began manifesting all over his body, the sensation so strong it made him want to scream in frustration. He tried to remain still, hoping it would fade away like before but it didn’t. It only got stronger and kept spreading. His heart started racing and his breathing turned into panicked panting. He shut his eyes tightly and tried to calm down.

“What’s wrong with him?” He heard his wife demand of the doctor.

“I believe his previously damaged nerves are making him aware of their repaired state. Seems like his sensory nerves came back with a vengeance.”

“I don’t understand,” she said.

“The process Necromongers go through. The conversion process you do. It has been reversed.”

Despite his discomfort his breath caught and he opened his eyes, he looked at the doctor with disbelief. “Impossible!” he growled and tried to surge towards the doctor. Pain shot through his entire body and he fell back on to the bed writhing in agony. He was a Necromonger, he shouldn’t feel pain. He shouldn’t feel anything...yet, he felt everything.

“Voda!” McCoy shouted.

After what felt to Vaako like an eternity a stranger’s voice answered. “Doctor McCoy? Oh! What happened?”

“I believe he is having sensory overload. His nerves had been numbed but the treatment I gave him repaired them.”

“The foreign DNA?”

“Do you have a mild sedative? Or something to lessen the pain?”

“I believe I can help him.”

Vaako had curled up into a tight ball on the bed but no matter what position he tried he couldn’t stop the sensations that were assaulting his skin and even his insides. “No!” Vaako shouted when he felt hands laid on his exposed naked back. “Don’t touch me.” But the strong hands persisted and pressed down more firmly. At first he felt as if those hands were made of fire but then they slowly changed, turning the burning feeling into a comfortable warmth. It was the soothing feeling of being submerged into a warm bath, something he hadn’t been able to experience since his conversion. It spread to his entire body putting out the fires and reducing the feeling of needles piercing his skin. He started to calm down and his breathing evened out, he closed his eyes and held on to this newfound calm.

“What did you do?” He heard his wife ask. Her voice had a tinge of awe that was very unlike her.

“I’m a Water Elemental,” the unknown female voice said. He felt her hands move in soothing circles against his back. “I increased his blood circulation and temperature to help alleviate some of his symptoms. He just needs time to get used to his repaired nerves sensory input again. Doctor McCoy, there is a numbing agent in the form of a cream in that unit over there. Yes, that.” Her hands left his skin momentarily and returned with a new, cool and wet sensation. Vaako tried not to move as the cream was slowly and meticulously applied to his skin. “This should help to slowly acclimate him,” the woman said as she moved down to his arm then legs.

With the assault to his senses lessened, Vaako started to regain control of himself. He slowly unfolded himself and looked at the woman who was now applying the cream to his legs. She smiled kindly at him and went back to work. Vaako’s eyes turned to the doctor. “What did you do to me?” He repeated his earlier question.

“You were dying,” McCoy said, glancing at the woman who was treating him. “It was the only way to save your life.”

“What did you do to me,” Vaako said, biting off each word.

“Healer Voda,” McCoy said. “Can I assume doctor patient confidentiality applies here?”

“Of course,” the woman said, not looking up from her work as she moved to Vaako’s other leg.

McCoy nodded, still seeming reluctant. “I injected you with some of Khan’s blood.” Healer Voda looked up at that and paused at her treatment of Vaako’s leg. “It has a remarkable ability to encourage and accelerate the body’s healing process. However, neither Khan or I predicted that it would reverse what was done to you years ago.”

Vaako felt like his whole world was falling apart. “It’s impossible to reverse the conversion. Our bodies enter a half-dead stage, only functioning enough to carry out the Faith's mission.”

McCoy made a face that could have been pity bordering on contempt. “What was done to you, as far as I can tell, was to damage your nerves enough to numb you to most tactile sensations, decreased blood flow to your skin and sterilized you. You were in no way half-dead. Look at you, that’s pink, live flesh.”

“Are you saying he’s no longer a Necromonger?” His wife spoke up. “He’s now a...breeder?”

“He is a warm blooded, healthy, human,” McCoy said.

Vaako glared at them before looking down at his skin. Voda had resumed applying the cream to it and he could see the flush of his skin diminish and instantly return where she massaged it. Pink, live flesh. It wasn’t possible. If a bit of blood could undo everything his Faith promised would happen when he converted... if it could so easily be reversed... What did that mean for him? What did that mean for the Faith? His faith had been shaken when he had faced Riddick on Crematoria and experienced that blast of energy that killed half his men. This time he felt cracks in the walls of his faith and he feared it would come crashing down. “Are you saying that not only can I now feel… but I can breed?”

***

Riddick looked through the viewport at the stars and absentmindedly stroked Khan’s side who was curled up next to him with his head on Riddick’s chest. It was quiet, other than the rhythmic humm of the ship's engine and Khan’s even breathing. The only light, provided by the stars, cast their skins in a silvery light and outlined every dip and curve with shadows. Though their earlier conversation hadn’t reached a conclusion, Riddick sensed that Khan had reached a decision nonetheless. One that Riddick wouldn’t find agreeable. He was beginning to suspect that the bond was stronger on his side, perhaps because he was Furyan, since Khan didn’t seem to pick up on his emotions as much. Otherwise he was sure the conversation would’ve gone differently. If the Beastie thought he would let him go without a fight he was sorely mistaken. He would follow him to the depths of hell if that’s what it took. He couldn’t be selfish though, he needed to find a way that would benefit them as well as Khan’s family, or the Beastie would never forgive him.

He pulled Khan closer to him, wanting to feel his naked body flush against his, and wrapped both arms tightly around him. He sensed Khan rising to awareness for a moment and kissed the top of his head. The younger man let out a small sigh and settled more comfortably over Riddick’s body, draping his arm and leg over him before drifting back to sleep. _No_ , Riddick thought, _I could never give this up_. He’d never had this kind of connection with anyone before. He had people he’d liked, even one he might’ve loved in a way, but nothing like this. It could be the Bond that made him feel this way. This protective, even possessive, or it could be that the Bond formed because Khan was, somehow, meant for him. It didn’t matter why. He wanted to hold on to him and growl to the universe that he was his.

Khan stirred in his sleep, rubbing his head on his chest like a cat before settling down again. Riddick smiled and his mind drifted back to their shower together. Clear water cascading down perfectly smooth skin - a stark contrast to his own scar speckled skin. Those soft, delicate-looking hands, that still amazed him at how strong they could be, gently washing and exploring his body as he did the same. Khan’s usual wildness and impatience had been absent. Instead he allowed Riddick to guide him to the bed, both of them still dripping wet, and take his time caressing, kissing, and discovering what made the younger man lose his mind. He had been amused at the revelation that Khan’s most sensitive area was the left side of his waist. An odd place for an erogenous zone but when Riddick licked or nibbled him there he would whimper, arch his back and grip the sheet so hard he ripped holes in it. The coupling that followed had been just as gentle and they had reached their climax together for the first time. It would have been perfect if not for the bittersweet feeling radiating from Khan as he snuggled up against him afterwards. Riddick knew there was nothing he could say that would reassure him but where words failed him, he would make sure actions didn’t.

A soft chime-like sound interrupted his thoughts and he knew Khan was instantly awake.

“Someone’s at the door,” Khan said sleepily and started to get up.

“Stay,” Riddick said, rolling half on top of him and kissing him briefly. “I’ll get it.” He got up and wrapped the discarded sheet around his waist. He glanced back at Khan, the younger man watched him from under his eyelashes and grinned. Riddick smiled back and headed for the door, the chime sounded again just as he pressed the button that opens it. 

“Oh!” the girl on the other side said and blushed furiously, quickly averting her eyes. It was the same girl that had escorted them earlier. “Please excuse the intrusion, dinner will be served in half an hour. I’m here to show you to the dining area.”

Riddick grinned down at her. “We’ll need a few minutes.”

“I’ll wait,” she said, then quickly added, “out here.”

Riddick closed the door and turned. Khan was out of bed, leaning against the archway with his arms crossed over his chest and an amused smile playing on his lips. “Are you scaring the local fauna?”

***

Nyoka waited until the female doctor was done rubbing down her naked husband before stepping closer. Her now breeder husband in every sense, as doctor McCoy had revealed, and all because of a bit of blood from Khan. “I need to be alone with my husband,” she told the doctors.

They both looked at Vaako, who after some hesitation nodded. “The pain is now manageable,” he said.

“Try not to upset him,” McCoy said as he followed Voda out of the recovery room.

Nyoka crossed her arms over her waist and looked her husband over. Her eyes roamed over the flushed skin at his cheeks, chest and thighs and wondered if his skin would feel warmer now or if her dulled senses would prevent her from feeling that change, if it was there. He looked up at her and she held her breath. Even his eyes turned from a dull, greyish green to a much brighter color, but what caught her most off guard was the fear and doubt she saw there. Her strong, fearless, cold husband was afraid. She tilted her head as she studied him and his eyes dropped to the floor under her scrutiny.

“How does it feel to be a breeder, again?” she asked, unable to control her meanstreak. It was her go to response whenever she saw Vaako show weakness. In the past it had always served to stiffen his spine enough to do what must be done, even as he hated her for it. “Do you even remember what that was like the first time? Because I don’t.”

“I didn’t ask for this,” he said through a clenched jaw.

“And yet you are no longer the Lord Marshal, you’re not even a Necromonger.”

He flinched as if she had physically struck him. “I will release you from our marriage, if that’s what you desire,” he said, still not looking at her.

Nyoka let her arms drop to her sides and clenched her fists. Her taunting had the opposite effect of what she’d wanted. “You are such an idiot!” she snapped. “I could’ve had my pick of Necromonger commanders, why do you think I picked a lowly ground soldier like you for a husband all those years ago?”

He looked up at her then in confusion. “I’ve always wondered,” he said softly.

She walked up to him and reached out to touch his face, then stopped herself as she realized that touching might be the last thing he wanted now, even if he didn’t try to pull away. She let her hand drop again and looked him in the eyes. “Because I saw a man who wasn’t corrupted by the conversion. I could see the man you were before the Faith dug its claws into you, even as you strove to be a true believer.”

He frowned. “I expressed doubt to you once,” he said. “You were quick to turn me back to the Faith then. Now you tell me you chose me because… what? My faith was never strong enough?”

“I turned you back because as Necromongers we had no choice,” she said, feeling like once again she had to take him by the hand and guide him down the logical path, as she had done from the beginning. “If you had shown weakness then, if you had turned from the Faith, we would have both been killed before our due time. You’ve always been too honorable to be a good liar, Vaako.”

“And you,” he said bitterly. “You’ve always been too good at it.”

“Of course. I had to. I was trying to survive inside a world, a faith, that was never my own. I was trying to keep us both safe. My feelings for you though are true, husband.”

He looked at her for a long time. “You would stay at my side? Even now?”

She couldn’t resist, she gently took his hands into her own. “Especially now, you fool. We are finally free of the shackles of Necroism and I love you.” It was her turn to look at him with fear. “Will you still have me as your wife?”

His hands wrapped around hers and for a moment she did think they felt warmer. “Until the end of time, Nyoka,” he said and pulled her in, kissing her gently. He pulled back and blinked at her.

“What?” she asked, confused.

He let go of one of her hands to touch his mouth. “It feels different, I’m not sure how I’ll ever get used to this…” He looked into her eyes. “Nyoka, I don’t even know who I am if I’m not a Necromonger. I don’t even know what I believe in anymore. Was most of our life a lie? All the things we did in the name of the Necromonger Faith...”

“Don’t forget it was also done to us,” she said, sensing the spiral his mind was about to go down into. “We had no choice. I do envy you though, husband, you are truly free while I am still trapped, in body if not in mind.”

“You desire for yourself what was done to me?” he asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

She shook her head at his foolishness. “Of course I do. When I said before that I don’t remember what it was like,” she smiled bitterly. “I lied. I remember everything before my so-called _purification_.”

Vaako nodded. “It's still hard to believe that one man’s blood can undo something that was done for centuries with such ease,” he said. “Just what exactly is he?”

“I don’t know,” she said, even as an idea started to tug at the edges of her mind. “I wish you had seen him fight, Vaako. I’ve never seen the like before, not even from Riddick. I don’t think we could have escaped without him.”

A door chime interrupted whatever Vaako was about to say. He looked at her before calling out. “Enter.”

The door opened to reveal doctor McCoy. “I’m sorry for the interruption,” he said and his eyes fell down to their linked hands. He smiled. “Are you feeling well enough to join us all to dinner?”

Vaako let go of her hand and slowly slid off the bed. He made a face but nodded. “I believe I am.”

“Can’t go in the nude though,” McCoy said. “Not that kind of party.” He walked to the bed and placed what looked like a white shirt and black bottoms on it. “I was assured that these are made of the softest materials available and they are a few sizes too big. I’ll be outside with Voda if you need me,” he said and left the room.

Nyoka grinned. “That’s too bad,” she said, looking her husband over. “That kind of party sounds like fun.”

He grinned and picked up the clothes. “In my condition, you’d be the death of me.”

***

Jim was the first to arrive at what he could only call a ‘royal banquet’, because apparently he was the only one with nothing better to do. Bones had been busy with Vaako’s recovery, Nyoka refused to leave her husband’s side and Riddick and Khan… well he could guess what they were doing even though he would rather not to. He wandered around the large hall and watched as Elemental’s busied themselves with setting up the large table. They smiled politely at him when he caught their eyes but otherwise ignored him.

He turned his attention to the food. Though he didn’t recognize most of the things served it all looked delicious and his stomach growled in anticipation. There was a variety of meats, alien vegetables and even desserts. After the bland food of dubious origins the Necromonger served them and Starfleet’s rations he was looking forward to tasting something new and hopefully palatable. His wandering brought him to what he assumed was a lounge area. Comfortable sofas, loveseats and chairs were arranged around a low, oval table with refreshments on it. He picked a chair and sat to wait. One of the serving people, a young man with bright green eyes, came over and poured him a drink. Jim thanked him and leaned back in his chair to enjoy his drink and watch the Elementals. He had noticed that none of them seemed to be like Aereon, who’s form changed to air each time she moved, and wondered if that had something to do with the woman herself or if these were just different kinds of Elementals. 

The door he had come through opened and he saw Khan and Riddick enter behind the pretty little Elemental girl. The girl - Floga, Jim recalled her name was - spotted him as soon as she entered and guided them to him. 

“Good evening, Captain Kirk,” she greeted him with a sweet smile. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long.” 

“Not at all,” Jim said, offering her his most charming smile. Her light brownish-red hair and bright hazel eyes were a nice contrast to her golden-brown skin. She would one day become a stunning woman. He noticed Khan rolling his eyes as he took a seat next to Riddick on one of the loveseats. Jim sighed, it was a wonder Khan and Bones didn’t get along better, they both enjoyed rolling their eyes at him a bit too much. 

The girl poured drinks for Khan and Riddick. “Would there be anything else?” she asked politely.

“No, thank you,” Khan replied in a low, neutral voice.

The girl bowed and left them alone, though she made sure to keep within view in case they had need of her. Jim cleared his throat but could think of nothing to begin a conversation with.

“Any news on Vaako?” Riddick asked.

Jim nodded, suddenly thankful for the Furyan’s presence. “Bones was called back into the sickbay a few hours ago. Seems like Vaako is awake, though I haven’t heard anything since. But don’t worry, Bones is a miracle worker.”

Riddick exchanged a glance with Khan before the augment feigned interest in his drink. Riddick seemed about to say something but then his attention drifted to the door. Jim turned too and saw Bones entering the hall with Nyoka and, surprisingly, Vaako. He raised his hand and waved them over. Vaako seemed very well, other than the fact that he looked extremely uncomfortable in his own skin. He kept twitching and tugging at his new, much looser clothes as if he couldn’t stand to have it touching his skin.

“Glad to see you’re still among the living,” Riddick said once they were close and rose to offer his hand to Vaako.

The Necromonger hesitated before clasping the big guy’s wrist. “More living than anticipated, it seems,” Vaako said, his eyes shifting to Khan. He seemed like he wanted to say something to the Augment but then changed his mind as Khan, very obviously and deliberately, looked away from him and lifted his glass to his lips. 

Jim blinked a few times as he looked up at the Necromonger. His skin no longer looked deathly pale, there was definitely more color to him, even in his eyes, they were now almost as bright and green as Bones’ eyes. It was even more disturbing to see the two of them side by side now. The only real distinction between them anymore was the hair and age difference. Bones face was more lined with age, while Vaako looked much younger than he did even before his injury. Jim glanced at Khan, their eyes met over the rim of the Augment’s glass and Jim knew why Vaako’s recovery was indeed near miraculous.

He looked back at Vaako. “You look well, Lord Vaako,” Jim said. “Please, join us.”

“I’m no longer a Lord,” Vaako said and made his way to the large sofa. He sat down very gingerly, as one would after a bad sunburn. “Just Vaako will do,” he added once he settled down. Nyoka sat carefully next to him but not close enough to touch. Her eyes fixed on Khan until the Augment looked back at her. She slowly inclined her head at him and Khan gave her a curt nod of acknowledgement.

Floga returned to serve the newcomers and refilled Khan’s glass. “Dinner will be served in five minutes,” she informed them and bowed herself away again.

In five minutes exactly Aereon’s misty form walked into the hall. Floga came and politely asked them to move to the dining table. They put their glasses down and followed the girl.

Aereon took her place at the head of the table and motioned for the others to sit where they pleased. Riddick sat to her left with Khan and Nyoka sat to his left with Vaako next to her. Jim sat to Aereon’s right with Bones and to their surprise Floga sat down with them as well.

“We have a lot to discuss,” Aereon said as she looked over them. “But first let us enjoy this meal.”

She nodded and the servers gathered around them, bringing the various dishes to them and waiting patiently. Unsure how to proceed Jim looked around the table. His eyes paused on Khan, who, other than Aereon, seemed to be the only one in their group comfortable with the situation. He offered a slight nod when he was interested in a specific dish or held his hand discreetly up when he wasn’t and the servers either served him a portion or moved on accordingly. Jim mimicked the augment’s movements though he had a nagging feeling that his attempts were crude compared to the graceful movements of the augment. The servers however didn’t seem to mind and served them all with friendly smiles and a lot of tolerance.

When the servers retreated Jim looked around the table again. He nearly laughed when he realized that everyone else was now watching Khan as well. The augment delicately placed a napkin over his lap before he noticed that all eyes were on him.

“What?” Khan asked after a short and awkward silence.

Aereon chuckled. “I believe in our eagerness to be good hosts, we have made our guests uncomfortable,” she said, turning to the servers who waited a couple meters away from the table. “You may all go,” she told them. The servers bowed and left, some of them throwing reluctant glances at the table as they did so. Aereon turned her attention back to her guests. “Please,” she said with a playful smile. “Dig in.”

***

Riddick had never experienced such a variety of foods before and even though one was more delicious than the other he was still glad when dinner was over and Aereon had them all moved back to the comfortable and more casual sitting area. He had felt out of place at the table and he was eager to get things rolling about what would happen next.

Floga once again served them drinks and Riddick was pleased to find it was a stronger kind than what they had been served before.

“Thank you, Floga,” Aereon said. “You may retire for the night.”

Floga looked up at the older woman in disappointment before glancing at Khan, who stoically ignored the girl’s look. “Yes, grandmother,” the girl said and left the hall.

“She’s your granddaughter?” Kirk asked.

“Yes,” Aereon said with some amusement. “We don’t actually have servants, most of the people you’ve met today have volunteered their services. They wanted to be part of this event. It's not everyday that we have a part of history sitting at our table.” 

“If we’re done with the pleasantries,” Riddick said impatiently. He was not in the mood for another cultural lesson. “Can we get to the matter at hand?”

Aereon grew serious. “Yes, to the matter at hand,” she said, put her glass down on the table and looked around at them. “Captain James T. Kirk must be returned to his own time along with Doctor McCoy. Captain Kirk is one of a few key captains whose role in history must be preserved at all costs. He is a link to a long chain of events that if broken the results will prove catastrophic for all humanity in this timeline.”

“Is this your prophecy then, Elemental? Because we guessed that much ourselves long before we got here,” Nyoka said mockingly, taking a delicate sip of her drink.

“Prophecies are for the future, Necromonger, this is merely a fact.”

“You said this timeline,” Vaako cut off his wife before she could speak again. “Are you suggesting there are more than one?”

Aereon nodded. “Indeed I am. Every possible decision and every action has the potential to create a new timeline, we Elementals can perceive the quantum mechanical superpositions of different possibilities and calculate the odds. For some that might seem like prophecy.”

“Like when Nero came to our time from the future and destroyed Vulcan. Are you saying there are other universes out there in which Vulcan still exists?” Kirk asked.

“Yes,” Aereon said looking at him. “And there are universes in which you are dead or were never born. Where you never joined Starfleet, or you are a cold blooded murderer. The possibilities are endless but what interests us now is preserving the universe we now occupy.”

“What about Khan?” Riddick asked, the fact she had yet to mention him not escaping his attention.

Aereon’s eyes shifted to Riddick. “According to every record we have, Khan was lost during his transport from earth to a space station and was never recovered. If we send him back now we _will_ be altering our history. Khan must never return to the 23rd century.”

Riddick felt a pang of hope at Aereon’s words, he even thought he sensed the same from Khan, but then the storm hit him through the Bond. He looked at the younger man next to him and even though outwardly he appeared calm, inside emotions of anger and uncertainty raged.

“What do your records say of my people?” Khan asked, his voice even. “What happens to them if I’m not allowed to go back with Kirk?”

Aereon’s expression was kind as she met Khan’s eyes. “Your people will be fine,” she said and looked meaningfully at Kirk. “Captain Kirk will convince the Federation to go ahead with their plans for the Augments even without your presence.” She looked back at Khan. “They will be allowed to colonize a suitable planet where they will thrive under the leadership of Joaquin Weiss.”

“Joaquin?” Khan asked, and frowned. “Impossible,” he growled and Riddick felt Khan’s anger amplify, now coupled with suspicion. “Joaquin would never cooperate with them after what they did to twelve of our brothers and sisters… after what they did to _me_. He will never believe a word they tell him once he knows what took place, especially if I am, somehow, conveniently lost.”

“He will,” Aereon said, not unkindly. “And he did.”

Khan stood and glared down at her. “I don’t know what your endgame here is, Elemental, but I know Joaquin well enough to know that you lie. He would never betray me.”

Aereon slowly stood as well. Her eyes were pure steel when she met Khan’s icy ones. “Would you like to hear the odds of what will happen if you go back with Kirk?” she asked, her voice soft but somehow commanding. She advanced on Khan as she began to speak. “You will assist in your peoples acclimation into the new era, as will be agreed between you and the Federation, and once that is done you will be put to trial and be incarcerated for your crimes against Starfleet and the people of Earth. A life sentence, in which you will go willingly, keeping your word to Captain Kirk and the Federation, but you are right... faithful Joaquin will not stand for that. He will not accept that that is the price _you_ pay for _their_ freedom. He will fight for you and so will the rest of your brothers and sisters. The war between humans and augments will be short and bloody. Many human lives will be lost but in the end the Federation will step in and even augments can’t hold against the whole of the Federation for long. The war will end with every single augment, except you, dead. _You_ , Khan, will be the reason for your peoples extinction!”

Khan took a step back from the small woman, he tilted his head slightly and his eyes narrowed dangerously. Riddick knew that look. He stood slowly and moved closer to Khan. He reached out and wrapped his hand around Khan’s arm. The younger man’s muscle flexed under his fingers but he didn’t take his eyes off the Elemental. He was locked on target and Riddick could feel his anger spilling over from the Bond to him.

“Khan,” Riddick said, keeping his voice even. “Calm down.”

“If you go back you will be destroying everything you ever worked for. What you fear most will come to pass.” Aereon foolishly went on.

Riddick glared at the Elemental. “That’s enough, Aereon,” he growled and tightened his hold on Khan’s arm. If Khan lost control now, Riddick doubted he could prevent him from killing the woman.

Aereon finally seemed to realise the danger she was in and backed away from them, though her expression was one of sadness rather than fear. Everyone watched on in stunned silence.  
Riddick looked back at Khan as he felt the younger man’s arm relax in his hand. Khan’s face took on a semblance of apathy and the raging anger inside him simmered down to a low hum. 

“I need a moment alone,” Khan said and finally took his eyes off the Elemental. Instead he looked at Riddick and then down at the hand around his arm.

Riddick let go of him but didn’t step back. He wasn’t sure what had happened but all he could sense from Khan now was the equivalent of a cold wall. It was the same feeling he had sensed right before Khan had nearly attacked Kirk in Vaako’s ready room. This ability to turn off all emotions before acting was something that made Khan unpredictable even to him. Bond or no Bond.

“I’ll have someone escort you back to your room,” Aereon offered.

“I don’t need an escort,” Khan responded coldly and his icy eyes met Riddick’s in warning before he pushed past him. He didn’t want Riddick going after him.

Riddick watched him go until he was out of sight then turned his own cold eyes on the Elemental. “Was that really necessary?”

Aereon lifted her chin and looked defiantly at him. “The truth is always necessary, especially when it's hard to hear.”

Riddick pointed at the door Khan had gone through. “His people are his whole reason for being,” he snapped at Aereon. “And you just told him he’ll be the reason they all die! You’re lucky you’re still alive.” He never felt more inclined to choke the life out of someone.

“I believe she said he’ll be the reason they die _if_ Khan goes back with us,” Kirk said, setting his glass down on the table.

Riddick dragged his eyes off Aereon with some difficulty to look at the young captain. Khan’s raging emotions and then his sudden shutting him out had overwhelmed his senses so strongly he had a hard time grasping Kirk’s meaning. “ _If_ he goes back with you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is well and keeping safe :) 
> 
> A big thank you to LiteraryHedonism for beta-reading this chapter! Please head over to their account and check out their stories. I highly recommend!
> 
> And as always thank you to all who have left me comments/kudos, your support means a lot!


	27. Chapter 27

Khan walked down the corridor which led to their room with long even strides. He kept playing Aereon’s words over and over in his mind, taking every sentence apart and analyzing it. He paid no attention to the Elementals he came across, or their shocked expressions as they quickly moved out of his way and bowed. None of them tried to stop him or even attempted to speak to him, so he registered their presence as unimportant.

_Would you like to hear the odds of what will happen if you go back with Kirk?_

The odds. If you go back. He had always beaten the odds, he had always found a way. He opened the door and quickly shut it behind him. He leaned back against its cold metal and took a deep breath. _I had always beaten the odds until the day I went up against the 23rd century_ , he thought.

_You will assist in your peoples acclimation into the new era - you will be put to trial and be incarcerated for your crimes against Starfleet and the people of Earth._

He had convinced himself that that was the solution. What was his life worth against the freedom and prosperity of his family? Of the people he held most dear? He would put his feelings for Riddick aside, sacrifice his freedom, cooperate with the Federation, and ensure his family’s safety once and for all.

_Faithful Joaquin will not stand for that. He will not accept that that is the price you pay for their freedom. He will fight for you and so will the rest of your brothers and sisters._

Joaquin. Since the day Khan had saved his life, Joaquin had stubbornly stuck to his side, even bullied Khan into accepting him as his personal bodyguard. Like he needed a bodyguard. At first the man’s obsession with him had annoyed Khan, he was not one of his original siblings, but in time Khan had, in fact, come to rely on him greatly and even see him as his favorite brother. Now, Joaquin was the reason Khan would never see his family again, or risk their annihilation. If the Elemental was to be believed. Was it that far fetched though that his family loved him as much as he loved them? That they would go against his orders in an attempt to protect him?

_The war will end with every single augment, except you, dead. You, Khan, will be the reason for your peoples extinction._

Just the possibility, the mere thought of that being true made him break out in cold sweat. Yet, he found it just as hard to believe that Joaquin would cooperate with the Federation if Khan wasn’t there to give the order. There was no way they would be able to lie to Joaquin, and he was sure to ask where Khan was. Joaquin could read heartbeats and body language even better than Khan, he’d spot the lie right away. So why would he cooperate? Was Khan missing something or did Aereon lie? Why would she lie? Why would she want to keep him here? But could he risk ignoring her? Could he risk his people's lives just so he could be with them again, even briefly?

He pressed his fists to his temples and slid down the door to the floor with a groan. He regretted shutting out Riddick and wished he was there now to help him bring order to this chaos. Only Riddick was part of the chaos. Riddick was the reason the decision to go back had torn him apart inside and the reason his heart leapt with joy, for just a moment, when Aereon said he couldn’t go back. He could just pretend that it was out of his hands and stay with Riddick. That had made him uncertain of his own resolve, his loyalty to his people, his worth as their leader, the man they put their trust into, and anything that made him uncertain made him furious. Yet, it was Riddick who once again pulled him back from the darkness and prevented him from taking his anger out on the Elemental.

This was not the time for him to act as a weapon. He needed to put aside all emotions and find that cold logic at his core. He stood and walked over to the large viewport, he scanned the stars but found nothing familiar there. Was one of those stars Earth’s sun? He closed his eyes and easily pulled Joaquin’s face from his memory to the forefront of his mind. What would make Joaquin take his place as the leader? Khan knew, with every fiber in his being, the Joaquin was loyal to him. Would he do it if he thought Khan was dead and the Federation presented their offer to him? Perhaps he chose survival for his family over revenge. He knew Joaquin too well to know that that was far fetched, but was it possible?

His mind kept circling and examining the same questions over and over and always it felt like the answers were just around the corner but he was missing something. Something important. 

***

“ _If_ he goes back with you?” Riddick repeated, obviously confused.

 _This is an interesting development_ , Nyoka thought, as the men looked at eachother, trying to figure out what to do next. Instead she watched the Elemental. The old witch had something up her sleeve, she always did, and Nyoka planned to turn it to her advantage.

“Now hold on a second! Are you saying we came all this way for nothing?” Doctor McCoy was saying. “Our shuttle crew is dead, the shuttle lost, and our mission to return Khan to face justice might now result in a bloody war?”

Silence followed his words, then Riddick slowly turned to glare at him. “Did you really believe I would let you just take Khan and lock him up?” he said coldly. “I know about your little Augment project. You thought you’d use him one more time, make yourselves feel like the good guys, and then throw him in a slam to rot?”

The doctor gaped then his features darkened and he stood to face off with the Furyan. “The project is meant to rehabilitate the arguments, it's for their benefit not ours! We were clear with Khan on what his part would be. He knows that this project won’t change the gravity of his crimes!”

“What about what he did since then?” Riddick growled. “Or did you forget who saved your asses from the Necromongers? Does that count for nothing?”

“Khan had his own reasons. He needs us to go back to his people or he would have left us to die. It’s what Khan does.”

“Does he need me?” Vaako said and all eyes turned on him. “There was no advantage to saving my life. Yet he did when there was nothing more you could do for me, doctor.” He looked at Riddick. “I’m no longer the Lord Marshal, I’m no one now, but whatever you and Khan decide you’ll have my support.”

Nyoka hid her smile behind her glass, pretending to drink. For once she didn’t have to nudge Vaako in the direction she wanted, he did it all on his own. She also didn’t miss Aereon’s satisfaction at Vaako’s words.

“What about the timeline?” McCoy protested.

“I think that’s everyone's point, Bones,” Kirk finally spoke up. “If what Aereon says is true then we can’t take Khan back with us.”

“So he goes free?”

Kirk sighed. “I have a feeling that losing his family again is very close to the punishment the Federation had in mind for him. I for one I’m not willing to risk more lives just to return him to our time and… throw him in a slam.”

“It’s not the same, Jim. He killed thousands of innocents, he killed Pike, he nearly killed you and our entire crew. Are you saying you’d be okay with him living here blissfully free with Riddick?”

Riddick emitted a low growl at that and Kirk looked up at him with a fond smile. “Yes, I am. None of us are the same men we were back then, Bones, and Khan most certainly isn’t. He was going to agree to our terms, wasn’t he?”

Riddick nodded. “He was,” he said then added with a low growl directed at the doctor. "I wouldn’t.”

“Even you have to admit, Bones, that locking him up now to die alone would be cruel to Khan and to Riddick and I’m done weighing who did more damage to who. Can twelve deaths out of eighty-four balance the deaths of hundreds of thousands out of billions? How do we judge who took the hardest blow?” Kirk shook his head. “I don’t think we came here for nothing. I think all this happened to prevent the future Aereon predicted. I don’t usually believe in fate or higher powers but if Khan wasn’t brought here, and if we didn’t follow after him… the Federation’s plan would’ve gone ahead and…”

“War and destruction,” Aereon finished for him.

Kirk looked at her. “I’ll still need some proof that what you claim is true.”

“I can’t give you knowledge of your future, Captain. There will always be the temptation to change it.”

Nyoka saw her chance. “Proof of his past then,” she said, grabbing their attention. “Surely, Aereon, if you can prove your knowledge of events before the Captain appeared in our century, it should stand to logic that your further knowledge and calculations stand true as well.” She looked at Kirk. “And records you are already familiar with can’t be falsified or twisted… after that, it’ll all be a matter of trust.” She smiled. “Or a leap of faith.”

Kirk nodded. “I will accept that as proof,” he said and looked at Riddick. “Would Khan?”

“I don’t know,” the Furyan said.

Nyoka rolled her eyes. _Men_. “Then go to him and find out.” He just stared at her and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes again, instead she softened her tone. “He’s been alone long enough. What he needs now is someone strong enough to stand at his side no matter what he decides. You better be that someone, Riddick.” She smirked. “Or I might have to steal him from you.”

Riddick exchanged a glance with Vaako, who jerked his head in a clear sign for the Furyan to get his ass moving. Riddick grunted and shook his head as he turned and left the hall to find Khan.

“You haven’t lost your touch, wife.” Vaako whispered once Riddick was gone.

“I know, my love, and don’t you forget it.” She looked at Aereon and the Elemental grinned and nodded her head ever so slightly.

“Captain,” Aereon said. “If you and Doctor McCoy would follow me? I’ll give you access to our records and answer any questions you might have.”

Once they were alone, Nyoka removed her shoes, pulled her feet under her on the sofa and looked at her husband. “How do you feel?”

“I think I’m getting used to it,” he said and met her eyes. “What are you playing at, Nyoka?”

“The question is, what is Aereon playing at?” She smoothed down her dress and made a face at what a mess she must look like after two days in it. “She could’ve easily taken Kirk aside and told him not to go ahead with their little project. Khan obviously believes it won’t work without him and Aereon believes it won’t work with him. Wouldn’t it be easier to just prevent the project all together?”

“She’s probably worried of what Khan and Riddick would do then.”

“Perhaps, but I think there’s more to it and I’ll be damned if we’re not part of it. This has to do with maintaining her precious balance. We are two former Necromongers, something that has never occurred before. We have no allies, no safe harbor, and we’ll be hated everywhere we go. We need to play our cards right, if we’re to survive, and I believe Riddick and Khan are the key.”

***

Riddick hesitated at the door. He considered using the chime then decided against it, if Khan didn’t want him there he would have to say it to his face. He opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind him. He was surprised to walk into a dark room, he removed his goggles and looked around. He saw Khan, a shadow standing next to the sofa, looking out the viewport. He either didn’t want to acknowledge his presence or was so lost in his thoughts he didn’t notice him.

“How are you feeling?” Riddick asked and saw Khan’s body stiffen up. So he hadn’t noticed.

“Like nothing makes sense,” Khan answered, not turning around.

Riddick walked up behind him and took hold of his shoulders. “If you want to go back, I’ll help you go back.” Khan turned and looked at him but Riddick couldn’t read his face or feel him through the bond. “Just don’t shut me out, Beastie. I’m on your side.”

Khan’s expression softened and he reached up to place a hand on Riddick’s chest. The bond was instantly back and Riddick could feel Khan’s sadness, laced with confusion and gratefulness. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to.” 

Khan leaned into him and Riddick wrapped his arms around him. “I know,” Riddick said and kissed his temple. “Now, tell me what’s on your mind.”

Khan sighed and pulled out of his arms to look at him. “Like I said, nothing makes sense. The Federation wants me back so I can convince my people to work alongside them. Yet, like Aereon said, it’s very likely that as soon as they try to incarcerate me that my people will retaliate. Even if I order them not to.”

“Because they love you,” Riddick said, thinking of how he would do the same. After all, he had planned to stay at Khan’s side no matter what the younger man had decided.

“If I don’t go back they will retaliate as soon as they find out what happened during my… rude awakening. When we entered cryosleep we hoped that the next time we awoke things would be different. Because of what happened with Marcus and my actions against Starfleet, they will assume that the Federation is hostile and wants to subjugate them.”

“What about this… Joaquin Weiss?”

“Joaquin would walk through fire for me. I don’t see how he would agree to take my place, given my history with Starfleet.”

Riddick was starting to see Khan’s problem. Looking for answers through this mess was like a dog chasing its own tail, they just circled back. “I think you should get some rest and tomorrow morning we’ll go talk with Aereon. No growling, no threats, talk… calmly, and figure this out.”

Khan nodded. “You’re right, though I doubt I can get any sleep tonight.”

Riddick grinned. “That I can help you with.”

***

Jim leaned back on the sofa and looked through the pad Aereon gave him. He was very impressed at how detailed a record of the past the Elementals held. From the years of Jonathan Archer to the day Khan’s shuttle was lost through the anomaly. He was burning with curiosity to read what took place after but Aereon was adamant about revealing anything about their future. That information was missing from the pad. He couldn’t blame her, it was the same idea as the prime directive and he learned to uphold that one the hard way.

“It’s all here, Bones,” he said to his brooding friend. “It's very impressive. These records would make a Vulcan proud.”

“So, because they keep records like Vulcans we should believe everything they say?”

Jim put the pad down and frowned at Bones. “What’s wrong with you? I know you’re a cynic by nature, Bones, but this is too much, even for you.”

Bones glowered at him. “What’s wrong with me? You are the one that’s all ‘Let’s forgive Khan’ all of a sudden. So what’s wrong with you?”

Jim crossed his arms and stared back at his friend. “You’re starting to see it too, aren’t you? That’s why you’re all cranky and judgemental. You don’t want to let go of your anger towards him because you think you’re betraying me and all those who died.”

“See what?” Bones snapped.

“That Khan is changed, that Riddick is a good influence on him.” He leaned forward. “Isn’t this what the Federation is all about? We’ve had wars with other species, we’ve had casualties, yet we made peace and most have become our allies. Why can’t we do that with Khan and his people? Who are after all, of our own making? Do I forgive Khan as an individual for Pike’s death? No. But we can’t see him as an individual in this case. He is the representative of an endangered species who fought back when Marcus endangered them further. One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.”

“The difference between a terrorist and a freedom fighter lies in the fact that a freedom fighter’s targets are military ones not civilians.”

Jim held up a finger. “Section’s 31 base of operations, even though they posed as an archive.” He held up a second finger. “Starfleet's command briefing room.” He paused, trying to push the memories of that day away. He held up a third finger. “Starfleet headquarters, even if the ship didn’t make it there. He never actually targeted civilians.”

“Jim…”

“Bones! If taking him back means a war with seventy two more like him, then I’m willing to leave him here with Riddick. He loses his family and that’s enough justice for me.”

“Fine. You do realize that without Khan the plans to rehabilitate the rest of the Augments might fall through anyway. At least Khan seemed to think so and on that I’m inclined to believe him.”

“Which is why we need to talk with Khan and find out who this Joaquin Weiss is.”

Bones shrugged. “Maybe he’ll feel like talking tomorrow, or maybe he’ll kill us all.”

***

Khan opened his eyes and frowned as the door chime sounded again. Riddick wrapped his arms tighter around him as he tried to get up. “Riddick,” he whispered and the big guy opened one eye. “Someone’s at the door.”

“I know, I heard.”

“Then maybe you should let go…” Riddick sighed dramatically and let him go. Khan smiled and kissed him before getting up.

“Beastie... You might want to put some pants on before getting the door. The local fauna has been scared enough.”

Khan stopped. “Right.” He got dressed, all the while the door chime sounding between short pauses. He opened the door to the young Elemental, Floga. He had known it would be her from her heartbeat, fluttering like a frightened little bird in her chest.

“Good morning, my Lord. I’m sorry to disturb you at this early hour but I have a summons for Riddick from Vaako. He would like to speak with him at his earliest convenience.”

“I will inform him,” Khan said.

“Thank you, my Lord. I will wait here to escort him.”

Khan nodded and closed the door. He looked at Riddick who was already getting out of bed and looking for his clothes. “I suppose you heard.”

Riddick pulled his pants up and walked up to him. He grabbed his waist and pulled him in for a kiss. “I can tell her that Vaako can wait and to ask Aereon to meet us.”

“No, go see what he wants. We can meet with her after, I need some time to gather my thoughts.” He grinned. “Someone kept me too busy to think last night.”

Riddick looked worried. “Are you sure?”

Khan pushed him gently back and picked up his shirt. “I promise not to fall apart while you’re gone,” he said and handed Riddick the shirt.

He watched the big guy dress and walked with him to the door. “I won’t be long,” Riddick promised and kissed him again before opening the door.

Floga bowed and escorted Riddick away. Khan leaned against the door frame and watched them go. When they were out of sight he pushed off the door and went back inside. He hesitated as he felt a gentle puff of air, he waited a few seconds then closed the door and walked to the liquor cabinet.

He poured himself some red wine and picked up the glass, watching the blood-red liquid swirl for a moment before turning around. “I know you’re there, Elemental.”

“I had no doubt,” Aereon said, appearing by the door. “After all, you were courteous enough to let me in.”

Khan raised an eyebrow and nodded in acknowledgement. “Wine?”

“No, thank you,” she said and moved closer, her form dissolving into that human-shaped mist. At least until she came to a stop next to him. She looked up at him. “I must seem odd to you. A man from over six-hundred years ago. Humanity still thought itself alone in the cosmos during your time, did they not?”

Khan lifted his glass to his lips and studied the small woman over its rim. She waited patiently for him to drink, never showing any discomfort under his cold scrutiny. “Haven’t you been paying attention?” he said, lowering the glass and keeping his tone disinterested. “I’ve been woken up before. I’m well aware of the existence of aliens.” He grinned. “Even killed a few.”

“Of course. The Klingons, was it not?” she said. 

It was clear to him that she was giving him a demonstration on her knowledge of past events. His origins, his actions in the 23rd century. He only hummed an agreement.

“But do I seem that alien to you?” she went on.

He put his glass down and looked at her more carefully, crossing his arms over his chest. “If not for your ability, I would’ve thought you a human.”

“Yes, same as your Furyan mate and our Necromonger refugies. Same as you.”

Khan stared at her. None of those she mentioned were human, at least not in the conventional sense. She was trying to lead him somewhere but he was in no mood to be led. “Speak plainly, Elemental, I tire easily of games.”

She smiled. “Sometimes, even an Elemental wonders if its fate or the odds that truly guide us. Because what are the odds that you would bond with a Furyan? The one race closest to you? The only Furyan I ever had contact with and would lead you to us?” She glided to the viewport and looked outside at the stars. “When Vaako’s message reached me, he almost had it figured out, how to keep the balance and save all of our existence… but he missed the key element to achieving that.”

“Which is?” Khan asked.

She turned and looked at him, her eyes shining with controlled emotion. “You, Khan Noonien Singh.”

He blinked at the sound of his full name. “So, my name was not lost in time,” he said evenly. He knew that this was another attempt on her part to prove to him her knowledge of the past. To prove that her warning about him not going back was true, yet he was still not ready to trust her. She could have easily learned his name from Kirk or McCoy.

“No, not lost, just a well guarded secret, at least for a while. Vaako and the others believe that the two Starfleet officers are vital to preserving the timeline, and they are right, they do have an important part to play, but you are the director of this play, Khan. It's all up to you.”

Khan finally approached her, he stood next to her and looked out the viewport as she had done before. His attention though was fixed on listening to her heartbeat and he had yet to detect a lie. What she told him was either the truth or she was a very skilled liar. “I’m really never going back, am I?”

He felt her reach out and touch his arm. “No. You’ve done what you could in the past. You made sure your people survived to the 23rd century, but now your people need you here.”

He frowned and turned to face her. “My people…” he hesitated. She was leading him again but he wasn’t ready to share his thoughts. Instead he asked. “What can I do for my people from here?”

She looked at him knowingly. “I believe you started to guess, yet you are a cautious man, so I will make it plain for you. There are many humans in this world, yet most are unchanged since your time. There are however four races that have changed greatly, evolved into something...else.”

Khan considered a moment, Vaako had told him something about four races. “The four Elder races?”

“Yes.”

“Necromongers and?”

She smiled. “Furyans, Aquilans and… Elementals. All descendants of one breed of humans, known during their time as Augments.”

Khan’s heart missed a few beats then sped up to make up for it. He put his hand over his heart as he felt the mark there come to life, pulsing with each erratic beat of his heart. “Are you saying that…”

“Yes, you walk among your people once more, my Lord. We have been anticipating your arrival for centuries.”

 _Claim us!_ He heard Shirah’s whisper in his mind as Aereon took hold of his hands and squeezed. “Save us!” she said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all :) 
> 
> This has been an exciting chapter for me to write and I'm very, very curious to know what you all think of it. I welcome any and all comments!
> 
> A big thank you to LiteraryHedonism for beta-reading this chapter! Please head over to their account and check out their stories. I highly recommend!
> 
> And as always thank you to all who have left me comments/kudos, your support means a lot!
> 
> Stay safe! <3
> 
> Note: I do know that the Aquilans were not one of the 4 Elder races...but I used them instead of the Rykengolls for the purposes of this story.


	28. Chapter 28

“Why is Vaako’s room so far from the rest of us?” Riddick asked impatiently, feeling like he made a mistake leaving Khan alone. He should have asked him to come along.

“He hasn’t been assigned a room yet,” Floga explained, “We’re going to sickbay.”

“Did he take a turn for the worse?”

“No, but it will take him time to adjust and the healers felt it would be better for him to stay another night in sickbay. He should be moving to new accomodations later today.”

Riddick nodded, he couldn’t help but wonder just how much Khan’s blood had changed Vaako. He got a general idea when he saw his former first commander, he wouldn’t be able to call him dead-eyes anymore.

“It’s through here,” Floga said after a while, pointing at a door. “Will you be able to find your way back to your room on your own? I have some things to attend to but I could ask someone else to escort you.”

Riddick looked down at the young woman. “I’ll manage.” He already had every area of the ship he’s been to memorized. He opened the door. Vaako sat on the edge of a biobed talking quietly with doctor McCoy, who didn’t seem at all happy. “Vaako,” Riddick said as a way of greeting.

“Riddick, come in,” Vaako said. “How’s Khan?” he asked as soon as Riddick closed the door.

Riddick raised an eyebrow. “Calmer than last night. How are you feeling?”

“Calmer than last night,” Vaako said and grinned briefly. “I’m glad you came alone. There’s something I wish to discuss with you first, before I get Khan involved.”

“It's a bad idea,” McCoy grumbled.

“But possible,” Vaako shot back.

“I said it _might_ be possible,” McCoy hissed.

Riddick crossed his arms over his chest and tried not to laugh. “As amusing as this is, almost like watching a man argue with himself, I do have somewhere to be. So... I’m listening.”

Vaako hesitated. “Did Khan decide what he’ll do now?”

Riddick avoided looking at McCoy. He was annoyed that Vaako would bring this up in front of the one man that was unwilling to let Khan’s past go. “He will speak further with Aereon on the matter. Which is where we would be at now if you hadn’t called for me. To the point, Vaako.”

Vaako seemed to realize his mistake and made an apologetic grimace but pushed on anyway. “I’m aware that this is a bad time, Riddick, but not knowing what Khan will decide is exactly why I have to ask this now, or I might never get a chance to, and McCoy is the only one with enough experience on this to help.”

“Then out with it,” Riddick said, trying to be patient.

“I plan to ask Khan if he would be willing to give blood to Nyoka, as he’s done for me. To reverse her conversion by our...former Faith.” The last words seemed to pain the former Lord Marshal. Riddick knew how important his faith had been to him and that he was willing to let it go now made him wonder again just how much Khan’s blood had affected the man.

McCoy suddenly sprung forward. “Will you talk sense into him?” he burst out. “That was an extreme situation which had unpredictable results! We don’t know how Nyoka’s body will react to it.”

Riddick looked at the doctor and then Vaako. This was the last thing he expected someone to ask him today and he had no idea why ask him at all. “I’m not Khan’s master. That’s something for him to decide.”

“I know that,” Vaako said and sat down on the biobed as if suddenly exhausted. “Khan and I had a bad start, I doubt he’ll want to do me any more favors. I hope that you might speak to him on my behalf.” Vaako looked back at him and his eyes shone with something familiar. Riddick braced for his next words. “I don’t know what Khan is, Riddick, but he’s done what I thought to be impossible. Accept or deny my request. I still plan to swear my fealty to him.”

Riddick exchanged a look with McCoy. The doctor seemed about as worried as Riddick felt, though probably for different reasons. The Necromonger needed something to grab onto after the loss of his faith and it seemed he had chosen Khan. McCoy’s presence only complicated things further. Riddick would have to do a lot of damage control and he had no idea where to start.

***

Khan stepped back, pulling his hands out of Aereon’s surprisingly strong grip. “Save you?” he asked, his mind still reeling from her earlier revelation. He put a hand out to steady himself against the viewport’s glass. “Save you from what?” 

His people, his family, not only survived the 23rd century but this woman claimed she was descended from them and Riddick too. The pieces started to fall in place. Riddick’s inhuman strength, Shirah reaching out to him - welcome home - were her last words to him on that first contact. He looked at the woman before him and something in his expression made her reach out to him with worry. She took hold of his arm and guided him to the sofa.

“My apologies, my Lord,” she said and sat on the sofa, pulling him down next to her as she did. “In my excitement to reveal ourselves to you, I ambushed you.”

Khan held up his free hand, silently asking her for a moment to think. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before looking at the older woman again. “Perhaps you should walk me through it, from the beginning.”

She smiled kindly and moved her hand down his arm to take his hand into hers. She pulled it to her lap and patted it reassuringly with her other hand. “When the shuttle carrying you to Space Station 12 of the Interspecies Medical Exchange disappeared, the Federation decided a rescue mission was acceptable under the circumstances. Captain James T. Kirk volunteered for the mission. Moments later Kirk’s shuttle returned, claiming they had spent days on the other side, and that you and their two pilots perished when your shuttle crashed on a planet’s surface.”

Khan frowned. “Kirk declared me dead?”

“To Starfleet and the Federation, yes. He seemed to think it would be the only way to keep them from sending others after you. After that was dealt with, he began a campaign to convince the Federation to go ahead with their plans for the Augments, even without your support. It took almost a year but the project finally went ahead. James T. Kirk, and a few of his crew took an active role in the project. It was Kirk who suggested that Joaquin Weiss, as your second in command, should be the first to be reanimated.”

Khan didn’t know what to think about that. Starfleet’s golden boy hiding the truth about their most wanted criminal. “He told Joaquin the truth,” Khan breathed as another piece fell into place.

“He told Joaquin everything, from the moment you were first awoken in the 23rd century to the moment they left here to return to it.”

He got up, put his hands behind his back and paced a few times before stopping to frown down at Aereon who watched him patiently. “Even so,” he said, holding her eyes with his own. “Joaquin would want revenge and he’d only bide his time until he could get it.”

“Not if you asked him not to.” She looked at the door a second before the door chime sounded. “You should answer that, my Lord.”

He heard the now familiar flutter of Floga’s heart as he approached the door but he didn’t hear Riddick’s strong, steady heartbeat. He opened the door and looked down at the girl, who’s hazel eyes were even wider than usual.

“My Lord,” she stammered as she tried to bow, her efforts made rather ungraceful by the large tome she was carrying. She gave a little hop as she straightened up, trying to get a better grip on the book. “This is for you.”

Khan raised an eyebrow at her. “Where’s Riddick?”

Floga tried to wiggle the book higher against her chest before answering. “Still with Vaako, my Lord.”

She blushed furiously when he finally reached for the book and their hands touched for a moment. He gave her an unimpressed glance as he hefted the book and turned to look questioningly at Aereon.

“You may go now, Floga,” Aereon said with obvious amusement. She stood as the girl left and Khan closed the door. “You’ll have to forgive her enthusiasm, my Lord. There hasn’t been a generation that hasn’t grown up hearing stories about you.”

Khan didn’t respond, instead he looked down at the book. It was massive and it looked ancient, though well preserved.

She glided closer and looked up at him. “I thought you might have a hard time believing everything I’ve said. I do believe there’s someone who can convince you better than I ever could. Please open to the first page.”

Khan held the book against his chest with one hand and carefully lifted the cover to reveal the first page. His breath caught in his throat as he recognized the handwriting. It was the same handwriting he had spent years reading carefully, almost every day, while he was Emperor on Earth.

_My Lord,_

_It is my greatest hope and desire that this record of your family’s accomplishments, in this new era we find ourselves in, will one day reach you._

_Within these pages I dutifully intend to report to you the events of our lives as they unfold. Forgive me if these reports have a more casual tone than my past reports to you regarding the running of your empire, but I anticipate the events unfolding, even as I write this, to be ones of joy and growth rather than strategy._

_The others have also eagerly requested permission to enter personal notes to you on occasion. A request that I have gladly approved of._

_I hope you are well, my Lord, and that these here records of our lives will make you proud of us and offer you some joy as you embark on your own journey. We miss you greatly but take solace in your letter to us and in the knowledge that you are still among family._

_Your faithful servant and friend,  
Now and always,_

_Joaquin Weiss_

Khan’s vision blurred and his fingers flexed, causing the book to creak. He quickly relaxed his grip and turned away from Aereon. “Leave me,” he said hoarsely. 

He felt a feather light touch on his back and a moment later he heard the door open and close. He held the book against his chest as he walked back to the sofa and sat down. He carefully laid the book on the small table and opened it to read Joaquin’s note again. Tears spilled down his cheeks as he reached out and gently passed his fingertips over the familiar handwriting but despite his emotional turmoil his mind highlighted the key words in Joaquin’s letter. _We miss you greatly but take solace in your letter to us._

Khan smiled. “So, old friend, what you’re saying is that if I need you to convince me...you first need me to convince you.”

***

Jim woke up to find Bones already gone. He had told him last night that he would be checking on Vaako in the morning. It seems like he didn’t want to wait for Jim to wake up first. Bones had always been an early bird, Jim liked to stay up late and sleep in. It had made their academy days interesting.

He wiggled out of bed and stretched, wishing he had coffee to start this day with. He pulled on his uniform, freshly cleaned and delivered back last night, and headed for the door, running his fingers through his hair to make himself more presentable. He opened the door and looked down the corridor, an Elemental spotted him immediately and headed his direction with a smile. He vaguely recognized him as one of the people that had served them at dinner the other day.

“Good morning Captain James T. Kirk. I hope you slept well?” the young man said once he was close enough. “Would you like some breakfast?”

Jim smiled. “Some coffee would be nice, if you have it.”

“I’m afraid not, but we do have something similar,” he grinned, “with similar results.” He gestured for Jim to follow him.

Jim started to follow then paused and looked back. Khan’s and Riddick’s room were just a couple of doors down the corridor from his. He needed to talk with Khan and perhaps it would be better to do it while Bones wasn’t around. “Excuse me,” he called to the young man. “Do you know if Khan and Riddick are awake yet? I’d like to invite them to join me.”

The young man turned and looked down the corridor nervously. “They are. Riddick is at sickbay with your doctor friend and Vaako. Lo- Khan is still in their room.”

Jim followed the man’s gaze suddenly just as nervous. Should he ask Khan even without Riddick there? The big guy was intimidating in his own right but Jim still felt safer with him around, for some reason. His last one on one discussion with Khan hadn’t been too bad though. He looked back at the Elemental. “Then I’d like to invite Khan.” He saw the young man’s hesitation. “I’m sure he’s calmer by now,” he added with a wavering smile, hoping it was true.

The young man looked doubtful but led him to Khan’s door anyway. He pressed the chime on the door and stepped to the side, bowing his head, leaving Jim front and center as the door opened. 

Khan, still dressed in Necromonger black, frowned at him. “Kirk?” he asked, his voice deeper than usual, even a bit hoarse. 

“Morning, Khan,” Jim said, glancing at the Elemental. _Traitor_. “I- I was wondering if you’d like to join me for breakfast.” He wanted to kick himself. He sounded like he was asking the Augment on a damn date. Horrified, he felt his cheeks starting to burn. Great, now he was blushing too.

A slow grin spread across Khan’s face and he leaned against the door’s frame, eyeing Jim from head to toe. “Well...aren’t I popular today?” he teased as he finally fixed his eyes on Jim’s.

Jim glared at him, which only served to make Khan’s grin cockier. “Are you coming or not?”

“Not,” the Augment said slowly and stepped back. “But do come in, Captain.”

Jim hesitated only a moment, though part of him felt like he had just voluntarily entered the wolf’s maw. He did a quick survey of the room and found it to be very similar to his own, with the exception of a large double bed instead of two singles. He looked away from the bed as he felt his cheeks starting to heat up again. Jim wasn’t a shy man, not by a long shot, but something about the idea of Khan with Riddick made him blush like a virgin. He turned back to the Augment just in time to see him leaning out the door and eyeing the young Elemental man.

“Would it be possible to bring us breakfast here?” Khan asked.

The young man came into view and bowed, Jim saw that his cheeks were flushed as well. So he wasn’t the only one Khan had that effect on, somehow that didn’t make him feel any better about it.

“Of course, my Lord. Is there anything specific you would like?”

“Whatever is available,” Khan said, his voice soft. “Thank you.” He closed the door and looked at Jim. They stared at each other for an awkward moment then Khan moved to the cabinet. “Wine, Captain?”

“Too early for me, but thanks,” Jim said. He watched Khan as he poured himself a glass. How could someone so lethal be so graceful? Every move was relaxed, fluid, almost like a dance and mesmerizing to watch.

“Ah, yes,” Khan said with a deep purr in his voice. “I forget how alcohol affects normal humans.”

“So it doesn’t affect you at all?”

“It’s like drinking flavored water,” Khan said and lifted his glass to him before taking a sip. His eyes piercing as he watched Jim over the glass's rim.

Jim blinked a few times and quickly looked away. What was wrong with him? Why did he suddenly feel so drawn to the Augment? He cleared his throat but found his mind empty of anything to say.

“Are you alright, Captain?” Khan's deep voice sent a shiver up his spine.

“Of course I’m alright!” he snapped, glaring at Khan who lifted an inquisitive eyebrow at his sudden outburst. “Just haven’t had my coffee yet,” he added lamely.

“I’m sure it's on its way,” Khan said with an amused grin playing at the edges of his mouth. “Do make yourself comfortable, Captain.”

Jim nodded and made his way to the sofa. His eyes fell on the impressively large book resting on the table in front of it. “Doing some heavy reading I see,” he said, looking back at the Augment. He noticed how Khan stiffened for a moment, then slowly relaxed again when Jim sat down and made no move to pick up the book.

“I always enjoyed reading,” Khan said, and walked over to pick up the book. He set it down gently on one of the shelves. “It was one of very few recreational activities we were allowed to have, growing up at the lab.”

“You really grew up at a lab?” Jim asked, his curiosity of Khan’s past peaked once more, but the look the Augment gave him was a warning one so he sighed and changed the subject. “Which one’s your favorite?”

“Moby Dick by Herman Melville,” Khan answered without any hesitation.

Jim smiled. “That’s a good book. Old, but good.”

Khan nodded and joined him on the sofa, he left enough space between them so they could sit facing each other. “I’m surprised you read it, Captain.”

Jim chuckled. “Lets just say that my childhood was split between reading and getting into trouble.” Khan smiled at that and it wasn’t his usual sarcastic smirk, this was a smile that softened the Augments features, made him look friendly even. Jim cleared his throat again. “The reason I wanted us to get breakfast together is to talk about this...new development.”

“Mmm, yes. I imagine you’re not happy about that,” Khan said and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “After all, you will do everything you can, to make me answer for what I did.”

Jim remembered exactly when he had said those words to Khan. Right before he asked him for help in exchange for his crew’s safety. The Augment had mocked him that he couldn’t even guarantee the safety of his own crew. “It does seem that we’ve been down this road before, doesn’t it?” He looked at the Augment for a moment trying to ascertain his mood. He didn’t seem at all aggressive, in fact, Jim had the disturbing feeling that Khan was in a playful mood. Last night Khan had been furious. What could have possibly happened between last night and this morning to bring this about? “Aereon allowed me to look at their records,” he began carefully but Khan’s mood didn’t seem to change, other than perhaps some curiosity, so he continued. “Nothing past my own experiences so far, they were very careful not to give any hints about the future, but their records are impressively detailed and accurate.”

“So,” Khan began just as carefully. “Are you saying that she has you convinced, Captain?”

“I would certainly not disregard what she has said. I also know that your mind is sharper than anyones on this ship, I want to hear what you think.”

Khan’s eyebrows twitched ever so slightly. “You would trust my word on this matter?”

Jim shifted on the sofa. “Trust is a strong word. Though, I would trust that you’d try and do what’s best for your people, if not the rest of us.”

The chime sounded and Khan glanced at the door with some annoyance. “That would be your breakfast,” he said and got up to answer.

The young man from before and two others bustled into the room and quickly set up the small dining table next to the door. They had brought so many choices that Jim wasn’t sure how they had managed to fit it all on that small of a surface. Once they were done they bowed and backed out of the room without a word.

Jim got up and joined Khan, who stood looking at the brimming table just as confused. “Next time,” the Augment said, “I should be more specific.”

Jim grinned. “Perhaps we should pick what we want and take it back to the sofa?”

Khan gestured at the food. “By all means, Captain, help yourself.”

They ate in silence and Jim finally got his much needed coffee-like boost. He stole glances at Khan the whole time, once again taking note of the graceful movements. He also noticed the thoughtful expression which put a slight crinkle between his eyebrows. It was both strange and exciting for Jim to be having a civilized breakfast with Khan. Even though he had dealt with the Augment in his own century, the man had been like a mythical creature to Jim. A monster they fought and then locked away. He had never expected to see this side of the Augment, he had never imagined a lot of things before they came here to find him. Khan placed his utensils across his plate and Jim followed suit. Their eyes met.

“I would do almost anything to see my family again, Kirk,” Khan said, picking up right where they left off.

Jim swallowed his last bite and wiped his lips. “Almost anything?”

“Anything short of endangering them. If seeing them again means I would be risking their lives, I would rather die.”

Jim had to lower his eyes, there had been no hesitation from Khan. It reminded him of the time he put himself up in exchange for his own crew, when Marcus threatened to blow up the Enterprise’s bridge. “I can understand that,” he told him, “and I’m not willing to risk a war with the Augments… I mean your people. If they are half of what you are then I do believe Aereon is right. It would be a bloodbath, on both sides. So my question is, would you be willing to give them up? Step down and stay here if there’s a chance Aereon is right?”

“What would happen to my people if I did?”

Jim shook his head. “I don’t know. The Federation was counting on your possible cooperation.”

Khan got up suddenly and walked to the viewport. He stood with his hands behind his back and looked out. “That’s not good enough, Captain. If you want me to _step down_ you’ll have to step up and guarantee the safety of my crew. That includes what you promised me onboard Vaako's ship.”

“Last time I guaranteed the safety of your crew you mocked me.”

Khan looked at him and grinned. “Last time you were desperate, Captain, I was the only option you had. You would do anything, say anything, to get me to save you.”

“Save us?” Jim blurted, filled with indignation.

Khan’s grin widened. He was mocking him again. He turned away from the viewport to face Jim and grew serious, looking at him with an expression that was almost pleating. “Tell me now, Captain,” he said, his deep voice taking on that emotionally charged purring quality it had when he first spoke to them about his family from inside the Enterprise’s brig. “Tell me now that you will do everything in your power for my people and I’ll believe you.”

Jim’s mouth worked but no sound came out. Khan was actually asking him for his help and he didn’t know how to process that. He tried to remind himself who he was speaking to, did he really owe this man anything? “Even if I did,” he began, “what’s my guarantee that your people won’t turn against us anyway? You yourself said last night that it's very possible.”

“Joaquin Weiss,” Khan said. “I can help you convince him.” He titled his head as if considering something. “Though, I’d also be worried about what your Federation would do if they found out you let me go based on some seers predictions.”

Jim winced at that. It was true that his reputation for following the rules wasn’t the best at the moment. “I could tell them that you’re...dead.”

Khan raised an eyebrow and a ghost of a grin flashed on his lips. “They might ask for evidence.”

“I modified the Kobayashi Maru,” Jim said proudly, then realized that Khan had no idea what that meant. He sighed, so much for impressing the Augment. “If I can convince Bones and the Elementals I’m sure we can come up with enough evidence to convince the Federation.” He stood and walked up to Khan. “Now, how would I convince your faithful Joaquin to not start a war in your name?”

Khan smiled. “You won’t, Captain, I will. There’s an old fashioned way from my time, called a letter.”

“A letter?” Jim said, genuinely surprised. “As in handwritten on paper with ink?”

“Yes,” Khan said, with some amusement. “Joaquin will recognize my handwriting, so he will know it’s from me. I will explain to him what happened and that you are an…ally.”

“And that will be enough?” Jim asked doubtfully. 

“No,” Khan said, his eyes taking on that cold calculating look Jim was more familiar with. “You will have to be honest with him, Captain. Hide nothing from him, because the moment you do he will know and you would have lost him. So, tell him everything.”

“By everything you mean…”

“Everything.”

“Spock?”

Khan’s eyes turned icy cold. “Yes, but you might want to keep your pointy-eared friend away from Joaquin. At least for a while.” He paced away from Jim then turned to face him again, his expression once again relaxed. “I would imagine you won’t be able to be alone with Joaquin immediately after he is awakened. So, I will think of an appropriate phrase for you to say to him. Something that will let him know you have a message from me.”

Jim frowned. “You seem to have all this figured out,” he said, trying and failing to keep suspicion from his tone.

Khan gave him an unimpressed look. “Isn’t that why you came here, Captain?” he said, his voice colored with sarcasm. “Because of my _sharper_ mind?”

Jim couldn’t deny that he had said that, or that it was true. He also couldn’t deny that he had doubts about this plan just as he had doubts about not going through with it. Their main problem here was distrust when trust was what they needed most. “It just seems like you’re suddenly too eager to stay here. I thought I would have to convince you.”

Khan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I spoke with Aereon right before you came to see me,” he admitted. “Her...calculations have some merit.”

Jim nodded. “So, she put the fear of god in you, so to speak.” If Aereon gave enough proof to Khan to convince him that he would cause the deaths of his family if he went back, then perhaps Jim could trust that Khan would try his best to avoid an Augment and Federation war. “Perhaps I should leave so you can prepare this letter of yours. Which I will of course read.”

“Of course,” Khan agreed easily.

Jim headed for the door. He had a lot to think about, he needed to go over this whole conversation in his head and perhaps run it by Bones as well. Khan was too intelligent and he had to be absolutely sure this was the right thing to do.

“Kirk,” Khan called him as he was about to open the door. He turned to look at the Augment who looked back at him with an expression Jim didn’t know how to interpret. “I won’t say that I regret my actions back on Earth,” Khan began. “I’ve never regretted anything I’ve done to protect my family but I do understand that I killed someone important to you, that day.” He hesitated. “I do regret taking your family away from you and I am sorry for the pain I caused you.”

Jim blinked and looked away, trying to keep his eyes from watering. He had a sudden urge to punch Khan. He wanted to hate the man, he wanted to curse and hurt him in any way possible and yet...and yet. “From what I understand you felt that pain twelve times over while Marcus had you. Then again when you escaped and thought he had killed them all. Responded in kind, that’s what you told us...and I get it. I hate it, but I get it.” He looked Khan in the eyes. “I’m sorry for your losses too, Khan. It must’ve been hard, mourning them alone and in captivity. At least I had my friends, my crew. I’m sorry we never acknowledged that.”

It was Khan’s turn to look away. “Thank you, Captain,” he said so softly that Jim barely heard it.

They fell silent and Jim wasn’t sure if he should just leave or say something more. He shook his head, once again thinking how things could have been if Marcus wasn’t the one to find Khan and his crew. “We still hate each other though,” he finally said and grinned when Khan looked at him.

Khan chuckled. “Oh, most definitely, Captain.”

Jim nodded. “You have my word, I’ll do everything I can for your people,” he said and left the room.

*** 

Riddick stepped out of sickbay with McCoy at his side. Voda had come by to check on Vaako and they left the twitchy former Necromonger in her care.

“Khan sure is making an impression in this century,” McCoy said.

Riddick popped his knuckles. “Khan had nothing to do with this. Vaako’s lost everything, he’ll find his way soon enough.” Though Riddick had always had the feeling that Vaako was the type of man that preferred to follow rather than lead. He had crowned him Lord Marshal too easily and now he wanted to crown Khan. Nyoka had always been the driving force behind any ambition Vaako ever had. He wondered what she would think of all this.

McCoy hummed. “I suppose Khan is someone you’d rather have on your side than against you. He is an impressive man once you get past the whole murderous rage thing and you seem to have a way with him.”

Riddick chuckled. “A way with him?” he said and removed his goggles to look the Doctor in the eyes. “If you mean not treating him like a monster, yeah, I have a way with him.”

McCoy sighed. “I was trying to say that maybe Khan does belong here with you.”

“He also belongs with his people,” Riddick said and lowered his goggles over his eyes again. “I’ve met a lot of supposed leaders in my lifetime. Khan is the only one I’ve met who cares more about his people than himself. Do you realize how rare that is?”

“I do,” McCoy said. “I serve under such a man myself.”

Riddick stared at the doctor for a minute, wondering if the man realized he had just admitted to Khan and Kirk being similar. “Would Kirk kill to protect his crew?”

McCoy’s expression turned sad. “Kill, die...he’s done both. The former always costs him. Even when absolutely necessary I know that the guilt eats him up inside.”

Riddick sighed. “I know you’ll never believe it, just as he’ll never admit it, but that applies to Khan as well. It’s true he feels no remorse for Marcus but he does for those civilian lives.”

McCoy pursed his lips. “Jim hinted at that as well,” he said.

They began walking down the corridor that led to their rooms. Riddick, considered the man next to him. He was the only person in Starfleet that Khan had shown some respect for, though obviously it was not returned. “Khan, told me once that you had been kind to him.”

McCoy looked at him with surprise. “He said that?”

“He said that when he was captured you demanded that they allow him to heal and see that his family was alive before putting him on ice. If you hate him so much, why did you do that?”

“That was basic human decency,” McCoy said dismissively.

“To you, perhaps. To Khan it was a rare shred of kindness. I’ll be sure to let him know it was just basic human decency though.”

McCoy frowned at that and they walked the rest of the way in silence. Riddick was more than happy to leave the doctor lost in his thoughts. Diplomacy was never his strong suit and he was starting to feel like Khan’s ambassador with these Starfleet people. All caught up in their moral codes that, as far as Riddick could tell, only really applied to others. His mood darkened even further when he spotted Kirk coming out of their room. The young Captain spotted them a second later and headed their way.

“Good morning, Bones, Riddick,” he said offering one of his cheeky grins, though his eyes looked a little sad. “I hope you won’t mind, big guy,” he quickly went on, pointing at the now closed door behind him, “but I always hated taking breakfast alone.”

“Breakfast,” Riddick said, exchanging a look with McCoy. “You and Khan?”

“Yeah. We’ve...sort of came to an understanding...but I’ll let him explain. Bones?” he said looking at the Doctor. “I need your help with something.”

“What are you up to this time, Jim?” The Doctor complained as Kirk dragged him away.

“A little Kobayashi Maru, Bones, you’ll love it!”

“Like hell I will!”

Riddick heard them argue as the young Captain practically shoved the Doctor in their shared room and waved a quick goodbye to him. He shook his head and wondered what sort of damage control he’d need to do this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to LiteraryHedonism for beta-reading this chapter! Please head over to their account and check out their stories. I highly recommend!
> 
> And as always thank you to all who have left me comments/kudos, your support means a lot!
> 
> Stay safe! <3


	29. Chapter 29

Riddick walked into their room, Khan was once again standing in front of the viewport and staring at the stars, only this time he noticed Riddick’s presence right away. He turned and looked at Riddick as if he was seeing him for the first time. Khan’s eyes roamed over his entire body and settled on his eyes as Riddick removed his goggles.

“I saw Kirk leaving,” Riddick said but left it at that as Khan quickly approached him. The younger man ran his hands up Riddick’s chest, to his shoulders then stepped into him and kissed him. Riddick didn’t question it, he wrapped his arms tightly around Khan’s slim body and kissed him back. “Maybe Kirk should visit more often,” Riddick said when Khan broke the kiss and smiled at him.

“Kirk wasn’t the only one that visited me this morning,” Khan said and pulled out of his arms. “Aereon came by when you left.” He turned around and headed to the shelves by the viewport.

Riddick crossed his arms. “So she snuck around me. I should’ve known.” He watched as Khan picked up a large book he never noticed before. The younger man seemed more energetic than usual. His movements were still as smooth and energy conserving as ever but Riddick could sense a kind of barely restrained excitement through the Bond. “You don’t seem upset...” he ventured as Khan returned to him with the book.

Khan huffed a laugh and handed him the book. “Maybe this will change your mind.”

Riddick looked down at the book and Khan opened it to the first page for him. He carefully read over the strong, yet flowing, handwriting and looked up at Khan. “Joaquin Weiss,” he said looking down again and reading it a second time. “This is a letter from your brother? How?”

Khan took the book back and stroked the first page gently. “According to Aereon, my people not only adjusted to the 23rd century, but prospered and are the ancestors of the ones you now know as the Four Elder Races.” He looked up at Riddick, his blue eyes piercing as he waited for Riddick to work out what that meant.

“Furyan’s are one of the Four Elder Races.”

Khan nodded. “You once asked me, why aren’t there more like me running around.”

Riddick laughed. “I’m an Augment?” The whole idea seemed ludicrous. “Beastie… Aereon obviously has something planned and needs you for it. She once put a bounty on my head just to get me to track her down. She’s manipulating you.”

The look Khan gave him had a hint of annoyance in it. “I can hear a heartbeat from ten meters away, I know when someone is lying to me. I’m well aware that she needs something from me, but I don’t think her intentions are to manipulate me. Is Shirah manipulating me as well? The first time she spoke to me, she knew my name. She welcomed me home and was surprised that I didn’t know her. She called my blood the ancestral blood and told me I needed to claim you. _For the ancestral blood, that is and is not ours, to be awakened you must first complete the bond_. It made no sense to me then but now...I don’t think she meant you, at least not just you. I think she wanted me to claim my people.”

Riddick hesitated. “You only told me about the part where she wanted you to claim me. I thought she meant the Bond between us,” he said thoughtfully, reconsidering his doubts. Aereon was one thing, she could be tricky when she wanted something, but Shirah had always helped him, saved his life over and over. 

“I was confused and a little rattled.” Khan said a bit defensively. “I’ve never had a vision before and the Mark took most of my attention.” He placed his hand over where the mark would be for a moment and took a deep breath. “My mind is clear now and Aereon brought me Joaquin’s book...I can see how the pieces fit together. I know it's his, I know his handwriting better than I know my own. I haven’t had a chance to look at it in detail yet, what with Kirk dropping by and all...but, Riddick, he did what he had always done when I was away, he made sure I was informed about everything that went on during my absence.” He let out a short, bitter laugh. “Because he knew I would eventually return to my people and I’d _want_ to know _everything._ ”

“That’s why Floga calls you Lord,” Riddick said softly. He had found it odd at first but dismissed it, thinking it was just the antics of a young girl to get Khan’s attention. “Joaquin called you Lord in his letter.”

“I was their Emperor,” Khan explained, though it was obvious that his mind was working on something else entirely. His brows knitted together as his eyes stared at nothing. “Something happened between when Joaquin wrote that book and now. Something that not only changed my people greatly but the world as well...Save us…”

Riddick watched as Khan went silent and sank into his thoughts. He could sense that Khan was desperately trying to let go of his family because he now believed that that was the best he could do for them and how much letting go cost him. It was Riddick’s turn to look at Khan as if he was seeing him for the first time. If all this was true then Khan was the reason Elementals existed, Furyans existed...he existed. Riddick had been a selfish bastard his whole life, putting himself first, looking after his own skin, it was rare that he did anything for anyone else. Kyra was one of the few exceptions and he fucked that up. Khan on the other hand always put his family first, no matter the cost to himself and as it turns out, in a way, he had been looking after Riddick long before they had ever met.

“What are you going to do now?” Riddick asked, feeling overwhelmed by the implications of what he had just learned. He couldn’t even imagine how all this hit on Khan’s emotional state.

Khan looked at the book. “Write a letter,” he said.

“A letter?” Riddick asked confused as Khan walked past him to the door.

“I need to secure their future first, then I intend to find out everything that’s taken place since.” The younger man opened the door and stuck his head outside. “Floga,” he snapped and looked at Riddick. “They always have a shadow on me, usually her.” He barely finished speaking and the girl appeared at the door.

“My Lord?”

Khan looked at her and his eyes lowered to the small bag she was holding. “I believe you have something for me?”

The girl held out the bag. “Yes, my Lord. Aereon said you’ll be needing this.”

“Please tell Aereon I’d like to speak with her in about an hour,” he said as he took the bag.

“Yes, my Lord,” Floga said and took off.

Khan closed the door and opened the bag on his way to the sofa. He sat down and pulled out three pieces of paper from the bag and a pen. He arranged the papers and started writing on one of them. 

Riddick moved closer and looked down. “You weren’t kidding about the letter but why are you writing a letter?”

“Joaquin said in his letter that I sent him a letter,” Khan answered with a distracted air as he kept writing. “It’s the first piece.”

Riddick was curious to ask more but Khan seemed so focused on what he was doing that he decided to wait. He quietly sat next to Khan and watched over his shoulder. He noticed that on one of the papers Khan had only jotted down a short phrase. _We ourselves see in all rivers and oceans. It is the image of the ungraspable phantom of life; and this is the key to it all._ On the second paper which was further from Riddick he could make out phrases such as _Safe with future generations - Among family - Do no retaliation - consequences war - Destruction of Augments - join with Federation._ It was a long list of such short phrases and Riddick was getting the impression that they were instructions as well as orders aimed at Joaquin. 

Khan pushed both papers to the side and brought the third one in front of him. He stared at the page for a moment and then began writing. He paused and checked the first paper, then the second and kept writing. Riddick leaned closer and read the first few lines, it seemed that Khan was now writing a normal, heartfelt letter to his family. Khan checked the other papers again, growled and crunched up the letter. He reached in the bag for a fresh piece and started again. Riddick looked between the papers more carefully, taking note when Khan paused and which paper he checked before continuing again. Words from the second paper started to pop out at him from the letter Khan was currently working on.

“You’re writing a letter within the letter,” Riddick said, finally understanding.

Khan looked up from the letter and blinked at him, then slowly his mouth widened into a grin. “You figured that out by watching me?”

Riddick grinned back. “I’m not just the muscle, y’know.”

Khan leaned into him and kissed him briefly, then gave him the two papers he had the short phrases on. “That one,” he said pointing at the paper with the single phrase, “is the key. You use that phrase to decode the letter and find the phrases that you see on that paper.”

Riddick looked at the two papers and leaned forward to read the one still on the table that Khan was working on. “Do the letters correspond to numbers?” he asked.

Khan’s grin turned into a full, dimple showing smile. “I didn’t think it was possible to love you more. Yes, they do.” He leaned back and gestured to the letter. “Give it a go.”

Riddick suddenly felt nervous. The only code he knew was kill before they kill you and some basic stuff to work ship computers. “Don’t I need more information? I don’t know how to use the key.” He sensed Khan’s amusement through the bond and also pride. 

Khan’s eyes were bright as he looked at him. “You have most of what you need there, but since my letter isn’t finished I’ll give you a hint. I, so far, only used a few words from the first couple of phrases.”

“There better be sex if I solve this,” Riddick muttered jokingly.

Khan laughed. “Now I’m tempted to give you more hints. Well played.”

“No, no,” Riddick said, picking up the letter. “I’ll earn my piece of ass.” He read over the letter and felt a pang of sadness for Khan, even if this letter hid a secret message, the emotions therein were very real. This would probably be Khan’s last chance to reach out to his family. Yet Riddick couldn’t stop himself for feeling glad too, it meant Khan would stay with him. He tried to ignore the actual meaning of what was written and focus on the individual words.

“It might help if you use this,” Khan said, handing him the pen.

“But that would ruin your letter,” Riddick said, taking the pen and looking down at Khan’s beautiful calligraphy.

“I’ll write another,” Khan said with a fond smile.

Riddick placed all three papers on the table and leaned over them. He felt Khan shift on the sofa and then his arms wrapping around him from behind as he leaned on Riddick’s back and rested his chin on his shoulder. A feeling of relaxation and love flowed through the bond into Riddick along with a hint of nostalgia.

“You taught Joaquin how to do this too, didn’t you?” 

“I did,” Khan confirmed softly and squeezed him gently, then chuckled after a short pause. “Don’t worry, I didn’t snuggle him. Now, focus.”

Riddick grinned and turned his head to plant a kiss on Khan’s cheekbone before focusing on the letters. “If the letters in the key phrase are numbers then the word ‘we’ would be twenty-three and five.” He jotted the numbers over the word then looked at the paper with the short phrases. _Safe with future generations,_ was the first phrase there. He looked for the words ‘safe’ and ‘with’ in the main letter and, after a moment’s hesitation and a wince, he circled them. He felt Khan shift slightly as another wave of pride radiated from the bond. It was an odd feeling that made Riddick’s heart soar, he’d never had someone feel pride on his behalf before and he found he liked it.

He looked at the position of the words within the letter and then at the numbers he’d jotted down. He counted the words leading to the ones he’d circled but they didn’t match, not even close, and then he saw it. “Ah, it’s pairs,” he said and couldn’t help smiling. “One number indicates the line and the other indicates the word. So two numbers is one word, twenty-three and five matches the word safe.” His interest then peaked, he looked at the next two letters of the key phrase. “Fifteen and twenty-one,” he looked over the letter again and frowned. “These don’t match. Wait...you switched them.” He looked at Khan over his shoulder and the younger man’s eyes shone with pride.

“You earned your piece of ass,” Khan said. “It took Joaquin a bit longer to figure it out the first time.”

“But, you do all this in your head?” Riddick said, genuinely impressed as he looked down at all three pages again. “You didn’t take any notes, you just started writing and calculating all this as you went.” He looked back at Khan and shook his head. “If I needed further proof that Elementals come from Augments, I think I just got it.”

“Mmm,” Khan hummed and unwrapped his arms from around him. “I see them more in you than the Elementals,” he said as he rearranged himself on the sofa to face him.

“In what way?” Riddick asked, he was mostly convinced himself now and he was curious about these possible ancestors of his.

“Intellect alone is useless in a fight,” Khan said with an enigmatic grin. “You also need that animal side, to be a...monster when the situation calls for it. You have both, like us. Though you have better control of your animal side than I ever did.” 

“I didn’t always,” Riddick admitted.

Khan seemed to consider him for a long moment and Riddick waited patiently for his next words. “I should finish this letter,” Khan finally said, though Riddick had a feeling that wasn’t what he really wanted to say.

***

Nyoka walked down the corridor ignoring the looks she garnered from the Elementals. She knew that her every move would probably be reported back to Aereon but she didn’t care, for once her intentions were innocent. At least they had provided her with a room and something to wear, even if it was just a plain, white dress that was a bit too loose on her body. She had her ways though, and used her old dress to make this one bearable.

She saw Voda, the lanky healer who had been in charge of Vaako’s care since they boarded, exiting the sickbay. The woman paused at the door and waited for her to approach. “How’s my husband?” Nyoka asked her.

“Very well,” the healer said. “He is adjusting quickly and all his injuries have been healed. It's almost a miracle.”

Nyoka placed a hand on her waist and eyed the older woman. “Almost, but we both know it's not and we both know you did all kinds of little tests. So, what did you find out?”

The look the healer directed at her was calm but hid ice in its depths. “I don’t answer to you, Necromonger. Aereon will speak to you and your husband soon enough, until then I suggest you are grateful and learn your place aboard this ship.” She smiled, turning back into the kindly healer. “Your husband is awake if you wish to see him. Please excuse me, I have matters to attend to.”

Nyoka felt the ice crawl up her spine but it only served to harden it. “You’re right,” she said to the healer’s back as she walked away. “We should be grateful...to _Khan_ , and that’s where our place is now. At his side.” She smirked when Voda turned to look at her with something between worry and disbelief. It confirmed a lot of her suspicions about the Elementals and Khan. She gave Voda her best ‘you are beneath me’ look and walked into the sickbay to see her husband.

Vaako, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, reading something on a tablet, looked up when she entered. He frowned and put the tablet down. “What have you done now?”

“Why do you assume I did something?”

“Because,” he said, his eyes narrowing with suspicion, “you look like the cat who ate the canary.”

She waved her hand dismissively. “I always look like that. I’m told you’re feeling better today?”

“Yes, though it will take a long time to get used to being...alive again.”

She approached him and noticed the way he avoided her eyes. “And what did you do, Vaako? I’d know that guilty look anywhere.”

He sighed. “I had Riddick come by, I asked him to intervene on our behalf.”

“I doubt Riddick has much sway over these Elementals, they-”

“No,” he cut her off. “To speak with Khan on our behalf. I asked if Khan would be willing to give you his blood as he did with me...You seemed to want this and McCoy said it might work on you as well.”

Nyoka felt her stomach drop. “Vaako,” she exclaimed. “That was too soon! He might think we’re trying to use him now.”

“I didn’t want it to be too late, Nyoka. If he goes back with Kirk and-”

It was her turn to cut him off. “He’s not,” she said and took Vaako’s face gently in her hands. “Once again, my love, you’re missing the big picture. Kirk and McCoy are not the reason the Elementals came to our rescue, Khan is. I just still can’t figure out why.”

He looked into her eyes and she saw a familiar glimmer there. “So you think he’s important too,” he said.

She held his face more firmly and leaned closer. “I do but not for the reasons you do. He’s different, yes, but he’s not devine. Do not exchange one faith for another. Khan is a man, a very impressive one, but a man nonetheless.”

He took her hands in his own and she knew she didn’t really get through to him. Her husband had a deep need to believe in something. Probably his way of coping with his own past. Convert’s guilt, as she liked to think of it, they gave into their fear and converted where others held on to their own beliefs and died for them. It was probably why so many Necromongers were fanatics. 

“I also told Riddick that even if Khan refuses I would still serve under him,” Vaako said.

“You offered to serve Khan?” she asked, surprised.

“I know, I know you want me to be a leader but you said it yourself. It's just the two of us against the world now, we need allies.”

“No,” she purred, and smiled at her husband. “You did well. I have a feeling that Khan will leave a legacy that will be remembered for centuries.” She felt a spark of her old ambitions as she considered the possibilities. “And we’re going to be part of it. Perhaps it's time we visited Khan and paid our respects in person.”

***

Leonard paced the room. He could feel his blood pressure raising, Jim would be the end of him, of that he was sure. “You’re talking about lying to the Federation, Jim. If they find out…”

“They won’t find out, if you help me.”

“If they find that letter...they’ll know Khan is alive and that we let him go.”

“They won’t find the letter,” Jim said exasperated and grabbed him by the shoulders, putting his pacing to a halt. “For once, Bones, don’t argue with me and trust me.”

Leonard took a deep breath. “If I agree to this, we can’t tell anyone else. Not even Spock, that green blooded goblin will put it in a report or something. So it's just us...and seventy augments...we’re doomed!”

Jim held up his hand. “Let's start with Joaquin and go from there. If he is the man Khan says he is, he’ll know how to handle the rest of his people. Our job is to convince the Federation that Khan is dead and to go ahead with the augment project.”

“Fine,” Leonard said then leaned closer to Jim and lowered his voice. “Are you sure we can’t just...let this project go?”

“I’m sure,” Jim said. “It wouldn’t be right and why are you whispering?”

“Because...Khan’s hearing is damn scary.”

***

Khan looked over his letter one more time before putting the pen down. He had more to say, a lot more, but he knew that was just his desire to keep this last connection with his family going a bit longer. All that needed to be said was there.

“Done?” Riddick asked, his voice a quiet baritone that soothed Khan’s raw nerves.

“Yes,” Khan said. “Though I don’t want it to be.” He handed the letter to Riddick and watched as the big guy read it carefully.

Riddick looked at him, his eyes gentle. “They’ll understand that you did this for them.”

“I hope so,” Khan said. Joaquin might understand, he was mostly a practical man and never failed to anticipate Khan’s orders. Suzette and Eric were a whole different matter though, they would probably feel abandoned. He looked at the book for the hundredth time, wondering if there were letters in there from them as well. “I hope I’m doing the right thing, but I fear I will always have doubts.” If something had gone wrong Joaquin would’ve found a way to warn him, unless what went wrong happened after his lifetime or was concealed later on. 

“Why don’t you read it?” Riddick asked, following his line of vision.

“No time,” Khan said as his sensitive ears picked on a familiar sound. “We have visitors.” He moved to the book and hid his letter and notes within its pages, then placed it on the shelf just as the chime sounded. “It's Vaako and Nyoka,” he informed Riddick, who moved to open the door.

“How can you tell?” Riddick asked, pausing at the door to look at him.

“Each person's heartbeat is unique. Though to be honest Vaako’s is now changed...faster.”

Riddick made a face. “I forgot to tell you. Vaako might want to serve you now and he had a request he wanted me to pass on.”

“Serve me?” Khan said, feeling some amusement. “Interesting. You better open, big guy, they’re starting to wonder if we’re having sex.”

“Wouldn’t that be nice,” Riddick grumbled and opened the door.

Khan smiled as Nyoka strode into the room as if she owned the place. She walked right up to him, wrapped her delicate hands around his bicep and tiptoed to kiss his cheek. “They told me what you did for my husband, we wanted to thank you in person.” Vaako still stood outside with a mortified expression on his face and she gave him a glare of encouragement.

Khan took one of her hands and kissed it, keeping his eyes on Vaako. He grinned when he saw a hint of fire light up the former Necromonger’s eyes. “Come in, Lord Vaako,” he said, letting go of Nyoka’s hand. She narrowed her eyes at him playfully, well aware of what he was doing. Khan’s grin turned into a smile.

“You have a mean streak, Beastie,” Riddick commented with a grin of his own as Vaako finally came into the room. “Relax, Vaako, he’s only teasing you.”

“I’m aware,” Vaako said.

Khan shook his head, and people thought he had no sense of humor. “Riddick tells me you have something to ask of me.”

Vaako’s eyes shifted to Riddick and back. “I do.”

“Might as well get it out Vaako,” Riddick said as he walked to the cabinet to pour them all wine. “I didn’t get a chance to go into details.”

Nyoka let go of Khan’s arm and slunk herself over to her husband to adorn his arm. Khan noticed the squeeze she gave him and the man visibly gathered himself. Riddick handed them their glasses and went back to claim their own.

“I want to be clear,” Vaako began, “the request is not a term and your answer will have no bearing to my offer.”

Khan grinned. “In that case,” he said and accepted a glass of wine from Riddick. “Begin with the offer.” He heard Riddick make a noise between a chuckle and a cough as the big guy stood next to him.

Vaako’s eyes darkened with annoyance but it only lasted a second, he took a deep breath. “Like Nyoka said, we know what you did for me. We know that you gave blood to McCoy to help me. I’m only alive because of you,” Vaako said, his voice thickening with emotion. “Your blood did more than just heal my wounds, it gave me back what they took from me. You saved my life, so now it belongs to you. I’m at your command.”

Khan stared at him for a moment. He had every intention to refuse Vaako but his words, the way his voice carried his emotions. It was almost like he was back on the day he had saved Joaguin’s life and he had the sudden feeling that Vaako would prove just as stubborn. He sighed. “I don’t want your life, Vaako,” he took a sip from his wine. “But I will accept a friend.”

Vaako surprised him by smiling. “Then a friend you shall have,” he said and looked at his wife who practically beamed at him.

Khan felt Riddick’s approval through the Bond as the big guy placed a hand on the small of his back. “As for your request,” Khan said, glancing at Nyoka. “I can guess what it is, and I’d be willing, but I can’t guarantee anything. Perhaps we should find out why it worked the way it did on you first.”

“You think it might be dangerous?” Vaako said and wrapped an arm around his wife.

Khan shrugged. “I have no idea why it worked the way it did on you. My blood can heal humans from an active disease, wounds and even severe radiation poisoning, but in your case it’s as if... for lack of a better term, it reset you to factory settings. It’s never done that before.”

“I got the distinct impression the Elementals know exactly why,” Nyoka contributed, confirming once again just how sharp her eyes and mind were. “They’ve been tiptoeing around you ever since we got here. Their eyes fix on you when they think no one’s watching, and that’s just the little bit I’ve been able to observe. Just the mere mention of your name has them fumbling. I believe they know exactly who you are.”

Khan eyed Nyoka, once again realizing just how much he liked the Necromonger woman and how she reminded him more and more of Suzette every time she opened her mouth. Yet, he wondered if he could really trust them. He had detected no lies, no indications that they were after anything other than what they claimed but trust was difficult for him. “Perhaps they do,” he said, deciding it was not yet time for a leap of faith. “But my blood had been unique even among my people. Mine acted as a cure to humans, whereas theirs acted as a poison. It attacked the body rather than heal it.”

“And you’re worried that I might not be human enough so your blood might attack me instead of...fix me?” Nyoka asked and grinned.

“It's a possibility,” Khan agreed.

She cocked her hip and placed her hand on it, giving Khan a look of amusement mixed with fondness. “Fair enough, how can I doubt those blue eyes anyway?”

“Nyoka,” Vaako hissed.

“Relax, husband, he likes it. Not everyone is a stickler for formality,” she said nonchalantly and walked to the sofa. She smoothed her dress as she sat and raised her eyebrows at them.

Khan shook his head in amusement and grabbed two chairs from the dining table placing them across the sofa, then went back for a third.

“Why three?” Riddick asked.

Khan looked at him and grinned. “We’re about to have another guest.”

***

Riddick eyed the chairs and then Khan’s grin, what was the Beastie up to? He didn’t have much time to ponder that as the chime sounded again. He looked at the door and back to Khan. “I take it you know who that is?”

Khan’s grin grew. “Why ruin the surprise?”

The surprise was not for him, Riddick knew, he was positive this visitor was Aereon. Khan was testing their guests, all of them, but mostly Aereon. He wanted to see if the Necromongers presence would rattle the Elemental enough to make a mistake, if her intentions were indeed something other than what she claimed. He nodded that he understood and went to open the door, not missing Khan’s move to sit next to Nyoka. He opened the door and Aereon looked up at him with her usual serene smile.

“Riddick,” she greeted him and looked past him into the room. Her expression didn’t change. “Ah, good, you’re all here,” she said and glided in. She claimed one of the chairs and motioned for Riddick and Vaako to sit. “Shall we begin?” she asked.

Riddick saw Khan’s eyes narrow just a bit but it was Nyoka who spoke. “Did your little spies inform you we were here?” she asked almost plesandly.

Aereon grinned. “Of course they did, though they didn’t need to. A snake always seeks out the sun when the day grows a bit too chilly for it.”

Riddick tried not to smile, Nyoka might’ve been the snake but Aereon had a set of her own fangs. He exchanged a glance with Khan and saw the same amusement twinkling in his eyes. Vaako on the other hand seemed torn between saying something in defence of his wife or just staying out of the line of fire.

“We were just discussing Vaako’s recovery, and how it was more than expected,” Khan said before anyone could react to Aereon’s gibe. It worked since everyone suddenly had their mouths shut and their eyes glued on Aereon.

The Elemental’s eyes fell on Khan, she then reached into her cloak when he gave her a slight nod and retrieved a small tablet. “This is Voda’s report,” she began and gave the tablet to Khan. “She tested Vaako’s blood after she heard that Doctor McCoy used your blood to heal Vaako. The extent of his recovery is actually very simple to explain. Somewhere down Vaako’s lineage there’s Elder blood, it was mostly dormant until he was injected with your blood.”

“Of course there’s Elder blood,” Vaako said with a confused frown. “Necromongers are one of the Four Elder Races.”

Khan who was reading over the tablet spoke up before Aereon could. “Perhaps once, but from what Nyoka told me...you’re all converts, no original blood. Isn’t that so?” he said and looked up at Aereon.

“Indeed,” Aereon said. “The odds that a convert would also have Elder blood are slim, but it happens. My guess is that one of Vaako’s more recent ancestors was Aquilan, they were known to travel great distances and...explore. The Necromongers as a race, however, have no claim on Elder blood, not since they changed their race's name from Austeres to Necromongers and stopped breeding.”

“The Purifier was Furyan,” Riddick added, remembering the man who felt so much guilt at serving a Faith not his own that he walked into the inferno of Crematoria.

“Yes,” Aereon said, her voice soft. “He was a beta, poor thing.”

“Beta?” Riddick asked at the same time Khan did.

Aereon smiled. “Not all Furyan’s are like Riddick. Though all Furyan’s carry the Mark, few are able to use it to its full potential. Those who can seem to possess superhuman strength and endurance, they are faster, stronger, more agile, heal faster, and they have an aura that can dominate almost any beast. They are Alphas, these Furyans with luminous eyes. Spiritual Warriors.”

“While all this is fascinating,” Nyoka cut in. “Why does it matter if Vaako has Elder blood or not for Khan’s blood to...unless.” She looked at Khan and her eyes grew wide. “You are one of the Elders?” she breathed.

“The lost one, perhaps,” Khan said and Riddick could hear and sense the bitterness the younger man felt. He looked at Aereon. “You mentioned something about saving you,” he said.

All humor left Aereon’s face and posture. “Yes, my Lord, from the plague that will convert or kill every last human life unless it is stopped. Necromongers.”

Riddick knew that Khan wasn’t impressed but his experience with Necromongers had been short and relatively mild. He hadn’t seen them descend on a world, take out their defences and then decimate the planet on their way out. “You expect Khan to do what, exactly?” he growled at Aereon.

Aereon’s eyes never left Khan’s as she spoke. “I expect him to unite his people, all of them, and eliminate the threat.”

“Then you expect too much!” Vaako snapped. He turned to Khan. “The Aquilans are gone, the Furyans are gone and as far as I know Elementals do nothing other than give you the odds.”

“And that, my Lord,” Aereon said calmly, “is the Necromonger hubris. The Aquilans and Furyans are not gone, far from it. They are however scattered, they need a beacon. We need a leader. Who better than the legendary leader of our ancestors? When they learn you have finally arrived they will come.”

Nyoka snorted. “Speaking of hubris,” she said, her words dripping honey and venom. “Will you tell them why Furya was destroyed or should I?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all :)
> 
> I'm very sorry for the delay and if this chapter seems a bit off...unfortunetly life happens and I'm feeling off in general. Feel free to comment on it though lol. <3
> 
> A big thank you to LiteraryHedonism for beta-reading this chapter! Please head over to their account and check out their stories. I highly recommend!
> 
> And as always thank you to all who have left me comments/kudos, your support means a lot!
> 
> Stay safe! <3


	30. Chapter 30

Nyoka’s taunting question caused Aereon’s heartbeat to jump for the first time since Khan had met her. It was a gamble allowing the former Necromongers to stay when Aereon arrived and he now wondered if that gamble was paying off. The Elemental straightened her back and took a deep breath.

“I am the reason Furya was attacked,” she said. She looked into his eyes. There was fear and regret in that look. “I miscalculated.”

Khan’s eyes shifted to Riddick. The last time they spoke about Furya the big guy had claimed not to care. Riddidck had never met his people, everything he knew about them was secondhand information, so he had no connections to them but the slight frown on his face now suggested he was interested in this. Khan looked back at Aereon. “You miscalculated?” he growled softly, feeling the familiar cold anger he felt every time something threatened his people. “What exactly did you do?” 

“What I always do, my Lord,” Aereon said calmly, perhaps a subtle reminder that she was of his people too. “I traveled, I observed, and I calculated the odds. I was convinced that a Furyan would be the one to slow down the spread of Necromongers and I was heading back home to share my findings so we could decide on a course of action, if any. Please understand, we calculate the odds of future scenarios. Different ways in which the universe might balance itself. We always thought that given our historical position, it would be wrong for us to involve ourselves in the day-to-day affairs of others but this was not a day-to-day affair.” She paused and looked at Riddick with a kind of maternal sadness. “We Elementals know many things but we are not omniscient and we are not warriors.” She looked back to Khan. “On my way back I was captured by a young Necromonger soldier, that was my miscalculation. Like Vaako and the Dame he was different, ambitious, and he was determined to use my abilities for his own gain. For many days he tortured me until, in a moment of weakness and despair, I gave him a prophecy of sorts. I told him that a male child, born of Furya, would be his downfall. That young soldier was to become Lord Marshal Zhylaw.”

“So, he destroyed Furya looking for me,” Riddick said.

“No, he destroyed Furya with the intention of killing all Furyans, this was not on you,” Khan tried to reassure Riddick even though the big guy seemed more thoughtful than upset. Khan looked back to Aereon. “Zhylaw was never supposed to receive that _prophecy_.”

“No, he was not,” Aereon agreed. “And that is my burden to bear. The Furyans had no warning, no other planets near them had been attacked to alert them. The Necromongers came seemingly out of nowhere.”

“I don’t see what you could’ve done,” Nyoka said. Khan looked at her with a questioning frown and she went on. “Necromonger torture is not the conventional style of torture. Even the Lesser Quasi-Dead can scratch at someone’s mind until they feel they’re going insane. That she lasted days is quite impressive and that she finally gave in was inevitable.”

“Nyoka is right,” Riddick added. “I had a taste of the Greater Quasi-Dead, they dug through my memories, resisting was impossible and it felt like claws shredding my mind when I tried.”

Just the idea that these Necromongers had subjected Riddick to that, the idea that they had erased half of the people he had sacrificed everything to preserve, made Khan’s vision turn blood red. He stood, unable to sit still any longer and walked away from them. Unconsciously his pacing brought him to the shelf where he kept Joaquin’s book. He looked down at it. It was proof that Joaquin, his brother, did his part and kept their people safe. Now it was Khan’s turn.

“Beastie?” He heard Riddick’s worried voice from behind him.

Khan turned slowly and regarded them all in turn before finally locking eyes with Aereon. “You want me to unite what’s left of my people? I will, but I will not be your figurehead, I will not be a _beacon_. I’ll be the fire that burns every last Necromonger to ashes.”

***

Vaako walked down the corridor in silence, lost in his thoughts. The evening with Khan had taken an unexpected turn. When he offered to serve under the man he hadn’t expected to actually have blood ties with his people and by proxy with Riddick and Aereon or that Khan would want to raise an army and go against the Necromongers. He heard Nyoka, who had been just as uncharacteristically silent, take a deep breath.

“He’s going to do it,” she whispered, and Vaako knew she wasn’t addressing him but her thoughts were of a similar mind to his. “He’s really going to do it.”

_I’ll be the fire that burns every last Necromonger to ashes._

In the past those words would’ve caused Vaako to laugh, but the ice in Khan’s eyes, the way those words resonated through Vaako’s body, shattered any vestigial pride he’d had left for the Necromonger empire. In that moment he had no doubt that Khan would, and could, do just that. “Yes, I believe he will.”

“And I knew he was someone important,” Nyoka went on as if he hadn’t spoken, “but that we all descend from his people? That he is one of the Elders...I did not see that coming.”

“Not all,” Vaako corrected, “just the four Elder Races.” He didn’t need to remind her that she might not share in that bloodline, they were on their way to have her blood tested after all.

She glanced at him, easily reading his mind. “I have Elder...Augment blood,” she stubbornly said. “I can feel it in my bones, Vaako. When I first met Khan I felt a connection, I felt drawn to him, I felt that potential of power calling to me. I haven’t felt that since I first met you, there has to be a connection there.”

“I don’t think it works like that, Nyoka,” Vaako said cautiously.

“No?” She asked smugly. “Riddick couldn’t resist waking him from his sleep, he also felt unreasonably drawn to him and you,” she said looking at him with a teasing grin, “can you explain the unreasonable fear you’ve felt when you met him?”

Vaako frowned. “I did not fear him…” He heard the lie in his own words as soon as he spoke them. He did fear Khan the moment he met him, he had even been tempted to order his men to put him down.

“And the Elementals look at him as if he’s a god, and it's not just because they know about him. There’s a primal instinct at work here.”

Perhaps Nyoka was right. The moment Khan was thrown into their time everything seemed to converge around the man like a moth to a flame. Of all the places he could’ve ended up at he landed on Riddick’s hideout and it just so happened that they’d be nearby as well to take them off the planet. The timing had also been perfect for Khan to be present during a coup that had been brewing for years. Riddick was a fierce warrior, especially hand-to-hand, but from what Nyoka had told him of their escape, they owed most of its success to Khan. It also turned out he was the only one who would be able to save him, both from death and from the Necroism’s hold on him. The man seemed to be an unstoppable force and the more Vaako thought about it the more it seemed that Nyoka was right. This was no coincidence, there had to be a connection. 

He looked up and saw Voda waiting for them outside the medical bay. He looked over at Nyoka and despide her overconfident words a moment earlier he could see how nervous she really was. He held his arm out and she looked at him. She hesitated, smiled, and took his arm.

***

Jim read over Khan’s letter and looked up at the Augment who stood patiently waiting for him to finish. “This is…” he began, searching for the right words. “You take responsibility for your actions despide what Marcus did, not that you make any excuses for him but…”

“But I paint the Federation in a more favorable light,” Khan finished for him. “I thought it would be important to distinguish between the actions of a few men and your precious Federation. After all, they are doing just that for my people, despite the destruction I have caused. Just don’t make me a liar, Kirk.”

Jim had been more than a little surprised to find Khan at his door that night. Bones had gone for a drink with some of the Elemental medical staff and Jim, not in the mood to hear about medical practices all night, opted to stay in and try to figure out what exactly to report, or not, to the Federation when he got back. When the chime sounded he thought it would be one of the Elementals to ask him if he wanted dinner, instead he came face to face with Khan.  
“It’s not my intention,” he answered. “Though if you were to ask Bones, I’m making liars out of all of us.”

“Is the doctor going to be a problem?” Khan asked.

Jim looked at the Augment and saw no threat in his posture. “No, he’ll just grumble for a while but I think once the project is on its way he’ll be first in line to help your people adjust.”

Khan tilted his head, though his expression remained blank otherwise. “I think so as well, Captain. Your...Bones, is a good man. I like him, despite his obvious dislike of me.”

Jim nodded and couldn’t help but wonder what the Augment thought of him. He cleared his throat. “We already discussed how we might convince the Federation of your...demise. Bones has medical records of the crew we lost when your shuttle crash landed and he’s meeting with some of the Elementals now to see if they can assist in fabricating some of those records to show that you and the two crewmen died on a class Y planet, otherwise known as a Demon class planet.”

“A Demon class?” Khan asked and smiled. “Smart, it bypasses the question of why your scans might be minimal or why you haven’t retrieved the bodies.”

“Don’t sound so surprised. We might not be Augments but we’re not unintelligent,” Jim scoffed.

Khan raised his eyebrows. “I never said you’re unintelligent, Captain...for a human.”

Jim narrowed his eyes at the backhanded compliment, if he could even think of it as a compliment, and took a deep breath. “Well, once we have those wrinkles ironed out, and the project goes ahead...how do I convince your Joaquin to refrain from breaking any bones trying to find you until I can give him your letter?”

“You will tell him this. _We ourselves see in all rivers and oceans. It is the image of the ungraspable phantom of life; and this is the key to it all_.”

Jim’s eyes widened. “That’s a mouthful, and how am I supposed to sneak that into a conversation?”

There was a flicker of annoyance in Khan’s expression. “Would you prefer something like ‘No ship should go down without her captain’? Or maybe something even simpler for you, like ‘there she blows’?”

Jim bit his tongue and glared at the Augment who was obviously in a mood. “Fine. So, it's a line from Moby Dick?” Khan raised his eyebrow and Jim tried to keep from wincing. He had proven Khan’s point for him by recognizing the last two lines but not the first.

“Joaquin is not an animal that will go wild as soon as you wake him, you’ll have time, Captain. That quote has...special meaning to us. Whisper it if you have to, he’ll hear it.”

“Right, you guys have Vulcan hearing,” Jim said and the look Khan gave him could have frozen an ocean. Jim tried not to smirk at the Augment. “I’ll need that line one more time.”

Khan repeated the line and didn’t hold back on the smirking. “Should I write that down for you, Captain?”

“I’ll remember it,” Jim said tightly. He didn’t know what was up Khan’s ass this evening but he just about had enough of it.

Khan seemed to realize it as his expression softened. “My apologies, Captain, writing that letter has not been easy, it made me realize that I will truly never see my people again.”

Jim’s bubble of indignancy deflated. “I can understand that,” he said, accepting the apology.

Khan nodded. “Once you wake up Joaquin, Suzette should be next and she should read the letter as well. Joaquin will tell you who to wake up next. There was an order in place, based on each one's skills.”

“Suzette?” Jim asked, his interest peaked.

“She and Joaquin were what you’d call my second in command. My closest confidants. They will help you smooth the way for the others. Suzette was also our...medical officer, so if anything goes wrong with the reanimation of the others she will know what to do. After all, she was the one who put them in cryosleep.”

“An impressive feat for your time, if I may say so,” Jim said, thinking of all the failed attempts at cryonics during and after Khan’s time. It wasn’t until at least a century later that humans had some success at it.

Khan inclined his head in acknowledgment of Jim’s complement for Suzette. “It did help that we were made to survive extreme environments,” he said.

Jim wanted to ask for details, he was very curious about Khan’s past since most of it had been either lost or told by people who hated the Augments, but he knew Khan would offer him no answers. Instead he asked. “We’re doing the right thing here, right?”

Khan’s face softened and Jim saw the same uncertainty he felt mirrored in the Augment’s eyes. “I hope so, Captain, for all our sakes.”

***

“You’ve been very quiet.”

Riddick turned away from his star gazing to look at Aereon. The Elemental still sat in her chair, hands folded on her lap, looking as serene as ever. Everyone else had left. Vaako and Nyoka to get her blood tested. Khan, to deliver his letter to Kirk. Why was she still here?

“Are you starting to wonder what your place is in all of this?”

He turned back to the stars. His place...for most of his life in this vast galaxy he had only known of one place he truly belonged, in the shadows. The darkness embraced him where the light and its dwellers rejected him.

“Do you even realize who it is you gave your heart to?”

Riddick didn’t want to be in the shadows anymore. He’d finally found a light that he could look at without burning his eyes, the problem was, that light burned so bright that others were gathering to it as well. He grinned. It seemed that he’d have to learn how to share.

“The fire that will burn all Necromongers to ashes,” he finally answered and turned again to face the Elemental, “and reshape this shithole world into something better. Are you going to tell me I don’t belong with him, Aereon? Because I won’t give a shit if you do. I’m not leaving him.”

Aereon stood and walked over to him. “I’m glad to hear that, because _with_ him is _exactly_ where you belong. You are his catalyst and the only one who can balance him. I’ve seen it time and again since you two boarded my ship.”

“It’s always about balance with you people.”

“Balance is everything. There’s a reason we Elementals have thirty-three different words for it. I won’t hide that I’ve been worried you might run back to the shadows when all was revealed,” she said as if she’d been reading his mind, or the odds. “The odds were fifty fifty. But I see how much you have grown since last we met. You know who you are now, you’ve found your balance.”

“I found Khan.”

She chuckled. “Yes, but Khan is not the reason you are who you are. However, you’ll be the reason he becomes who he becomes.”

“I always hated your riddles, Aereon.”

She patted his arm. “We have a long way ahead of us, Riddick. Khan, for all his strength, all his intelligence, even all his accomplishments, is still an inexperienced child at his core. He doesn’t even know all that he is capable of yet. He will need guidance, he will need good counsel and most of all he will need you to balance him.” She looked at him for a long moment. “Because what happens to a fire when it's allowed to burn wild?”

“It burns everything in its path,” Riddick said, thinking of all the times Khan lost control or came close to. “He does have a tendency to go berserk, but I’ve been able to pull him back through the bond, so far. I’m not even sure how I did it.”

Aereon’s eyes widened just a fraction. “This bond you speak of...is it an actual tangible bond? I can sense how much you two care for eachother but there’s more, isn’t there?”

Riddick pressed his lips together and considered the older woman. He was curious to find out what she might know about it, but he was also unsure how much he should tell her. “Maybe we should wait for Khan.”

“Why? Because you can’t listen to my heartbeat?” She smiled at the suspicious look he slanted her way. “If we are to be allies we should start trusting each other.”

“What do you know of Furyan energy?” He reluctantly asked.

“More than most, not as much as I’d like to.”

Riddick leaned into her space and lowered his head to look into her eyes. “If you want honesty, you first.”

“I know about its origins. This was back when our people were still one and still called Augments. A few took mates who were not Augments, some of them took mates from a species called Betazoids. The Betazoids were an empathic and telepathic species, their joining with Augments produced some...interesting results. Those innate Betazoid abilities mixed in with Augmented DNA became something very different. Their children had this cunning ability to project certain feelings onto others, such as fear. They were extremely good animal tamers. They were almost as strong and durable as their Augment parents and shared their more aggressive nature as well. They also had a tendency to gravitate to one another, many forming a bond that was unbreakable. This bond was so strong that they could sense each other, and sometimes communicate, over great distances. A few, of course, were so strong that they could do that with anyone that shared Augment and Betazoid DNA. Those however, were very rare.”

Riddick immediately thought of Shirah. Could it be possible that she was one of those rare cases? And she somehow sensed him from...wherever she was? “Was this bond possible with someone who didn’t have both sets of DNA?”

“Up until today...I would have said no, but I’m beginning to think you share that bond with Khan?” Riddick nodded and Aereon took a deep breath. “He is more remarkable than I thought. He might actually be evolving right before our eyes.” She took his hand in her own. “Tell me, tell me everything. How did this bond form?”

Riddick hesitated, trying to gather his thoughts. “I left him in the cave to check on a beacon I had set out for Vaako but I got caught in a trap and was badly wounded. Mercs,” he said, the mere mention of those bastards left a bad taste in his mouth. “I was sure they were going to ghost me, had a gun to my head. Then Khan appeared like a demon fresh out of hell, took them out and dragged my ass back to the cave where I passed out. He had somehow sensed I was in danger and where to find me. Next thing I know I wake up healed after only being out a day, but that wasn’t the strangest part. While I was out Khan tried to give me his blood to heal me, but it didn’t go as he planned, that’s when Shirah appeared to him.”

“Shirah?” Aereon interrupted.

“I’m starting to believe she’s one of those rare Furyan’s you mentioned. She appeared to me in what I thought was a dream, a long time ago. She gave me the Mark...The Wrath of Furyans as she called it. That day, as I was laying there dying, the Mark started to pulse and Khan touched it. That was when she appeared to him, told him that in order to save me he had to claim me, bond with me, and then she marked him.”

Aereon let go of his hand and stepped back. She turned her back to him and he heard her whisper. “Khan bears the Furyan mark…”

“Does that mean something more than being bonded with me?”

She turned and looked at him with an expression that Riddick never thought she was even capable of. It was something between awe and confusion. “I don’t know…” She paced so fast that her form almost completely disappeared. She reappeared a few feet away. “I can only guess at this point,” she said. “Was that the only time he saw this Furyan woman?”

“No, he saw her again when we escaped the Necromongers. She appeared to him when he was alone and in danger.”

“So you don’t need to be present for her to contact him. This is fascinating.”

“Alright, but what does it mean?”

“It means that there’s a Furyan out there who is remarkably strong telepathically and that she is now aware that Khan is back. It could also be why she tracked you down and helped you but since that’s all I know about her I can’t calculate more. Is she a drifter, like you? Is she on Furya? Some other, unknown colony?”

“So everything is somehow connected.” 

“And then there’s Khan. There has always been speculation that he was different, even from the other Augments. His blood is a good example. We had a few records about it, of course, but we also had a lot of speculations. When Voda reported to me that Vaako’s recovery was due to Khan’s blood some of those speculations became facts.” She moved closer again. “And now you and this bond.”

Riddick tried to follow her line of thought. “You said he’s evolving right before our eyes?”

“I believe so, I believe he somehow changed in order to save you, to bond with you. How else could he bear the Mark?”

“And Shirah somehow knew he was capable of that and helped him do it.”

“It might be that Elementals were not the only ones safeguarding our past.”

***

Khan and Riddick stood next to Kirk by the shuttle entrance while doctor McCoy said his goodbyes to the Elemental healers.

“Nervous, Captain?” Khan asked. He could hear the man’s heartbeat hammering inside his chest.

“You were asleep for your ride through the wormhole,” Kirk said almost defensively. “It’s no fun.”

Khan looked at the young captain. “The Elementals assured me that your ride back will be much smoother and safer. From what I understand their calculations are rarely wrong.”

Kirk grinned. “Getting soft, Khan? You actually asked after our safety?”

Khan resisted rolling his eyes. “Of course I did, my people’s future depends on it.”

The grin faded from Kirk’s lips. “Right.”

Khan eyed Kirk, wondering why it mattered to him if Khan cared for his safety or not, he then felt Riddick nudging him gently with his elbow. Khan sighed, he was starting to like the young Captain, though he wouldn’t call him a friend. “And I also care about your safety,” he forced himself to say, though he found that he actually meant it. “I might even feel a bit sad if something were to happen to you now.”

Kirk’s grin was back and he shook his head in amusement. ““We still hate each other though,” he said and his grin grew cheeky.

“Oh, most definitely, Captain,” Khan deadpanned, then smiled as Kirk chuckled.

McCoy finally wrapped up his farewells and was heading their way with Aereon at his side. Khan shifted nervously, Kirk’s anxiety rubbing off on him a bit. Aereon smiled knowingly as they got closer and somehow that calmed him.

“I’m ready to click my heels and get back to Kansas,” McCoy called out as he went past them and into the shuttle. “You coming, Toto?”

Kirk shook his head and turned to Riddick. “It’s been interesting,” he said, offering his hand to the big guy.

Riddick smiled and shook his hand. “Take care of yourself, kiddo, and look after Khan’s family.”

“I will,” He turned to Aereon. “Thank you, for everything.”

She smiled and wrapped him up in her arms. “Thank _you_ , Captain James T. Kirk.” She pulled back and put a hand on his cheek. “And don’t you worry, you have a bright future ahead of you.”

Khan watched as Kirk finally turned to him with an almost shy demeanour. He had to admit that in a strange way, he was going to miss the young Captain. They stood awkwardly for a moment then Khan held out his hand, he was kind of relieved when Kirk smiled and shook it. “Good luck, Captain.”

“And to you, Khan.” He looked around one more time, smiled, nodded and headed for the shuttle door.

“Jim,” Khan called after him before he realized he was going to.

Kirk stopped and looked back somewhat surprised. “Yeah?”

Khan's heart was suddenly trying to break free of his chest. “Will you tell them...could you tell them…”

Kirk’s face softened and his eyes filled with understanding. “I’ll tell them,” he said and stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

Khan felt Riddick’s strong arm wrapping around his waist and pulling him gently closer. He leaned into the bigger man and laid his head on his shoulder. Riddick kissed his forehead and gave him a little squeeze. “It’ll be alright, Beastie.” A cool hand touched his arm and he lifted his head to look at Aereon.

“We should go to the bridge,” she said. “We need to let the shuttle out and open the wormhole.”

Khan nodded and they followed Aereon through the ship to the bridge. On their way there Khan received respectful nods and whispered ‘My Lords’ from every Elemental they passed by. He returned the nods briefly, trying to ignore the mixture of sadness and relief he saw on everyone’s faces. These people were his crew now but he couldn’t think of them as family yet. He was grieving for the ones he left behind, because even though he knew they would finally live free, they were also long dead by now.

They entered the bridge and he was momentarily distracted from his melancholy as he noted the similarities of it with Starfleet’s designs. It seemed more advanced that the Starfleet ships he’d been on but he could also easily see the inspiration from them. They followed Aereon to what appeared to be a science station where an Elemental was busy inputting calculations.

“Open a communications line with the shuttle,” Aereon ordered.

“Kirk here,” came the voice over the comm.

“Captain,” Aereon said, “we’re opening the shuttle bay doors and transmitting the coordinates to you now.” She looked at one of the Elementals sitting at the central console. “On the view screen, please.”

“Coordinates received,” Kirk said. “We’re exiting the shuttle bay.”

Khan looked at the large view screen. He could see the open space ahead of them and then slowly the shuttle came into view. He held his breath as the shuttle aligned itself to the coordinates they had transmitted to it and waited. He felt Riddick’s hand at the small of his back, rubbing small calming circles and he let out his breath but didn’t take his eyes off the view screen.

“We’re ready,” the Elemental at the science station said.

“Captain Kirk?” Aeroen inquired.

“As ready as we’ll ever be,” came the reply.

“Good luck, Captain,” Aereon said and nodded at the waiting science officer.

Khan could hear something powering up inside the ship, something that took a lot of energy, but nothing seemed to happen until a swirling vortex of refracted light opened like a living maw in the blackness of space. He saw the shuttle’s rear thrusters power up and then it was gone. He blinked and the vortex was gone as well, just empty space once again.

***

Riddick walked with Khan back to their room without a single word exchanged between them. He didn’t need to ask to know that Khan was in a sort of daze. It was over, done, Khan would remain in this timeline, with him. He opened the door to their room when Khan just paused in front of it, staring at it blankly. He watched as the younger man slowly walked to the viewport and gazed out.

"So," Riddick began. "Seems like you were meant to be Emperor, one way or another."

“Emperor,” Khan repeated almost mechanically. 

Riddick approached him and wrapped his arms around Khan's slim waist, pulling him against his chest. He felt him shake himself and saw him blink at their reflections. “Yes, Emperor,” Riddick repeated.

A small smile played on Khan’s lips. "And what about you?" He asked softly, "Would you be willing to be the Emperor's consort?"

Riddick huffed against Khan’s neck. “So now you want me to be your whore?”

Khan laughed and it was a sweet sound. “That’s not what a consort is,” Khan said when he caught his breath. “And I doubt I’ll be Emperor. No one just hands you that kind of power, even if you are a sort of legend to them.”

Riddick turned him around and looked into those depthless blue eyes. "If you want to be Emperor, that's what I'll help you become. If you want to conquer this whole damn universe, then I'll help you make that happen. There is one condition though."

Khan tilted his head. “And what’s that?”

Riddick grinned. “I still get to call you Beastie.”

Khan smiled and kissed him. “I like it when you call me Beastie,” he said. He looked at him for a moment and stroked his cheek. “I have a condition as well.”

“Name it,” Riddick said, curious.

“I want to find Furya.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> A few chapters back I mentioned that this story was nearing its conclusion. This is where I’ve been planning to end it. Now, however, I feel that it might have grown further than I had originally planned so I’m writing a Part 2 "Into The Light". I had fun exploring a relationship between Khan and Riddick and I think it will be interesting to follow them a bit further.
> 
> Also, I won’t be posting weekly as things will be more complicated and I want to be sure I get it right… Plus, I’m writing a second story that follows Kirk and Bones back to the Federation and what happens with the Augment project.  
> I would love to hear your thoughts on this and if anyone is interested to receive an alert when I post those stories…please consider subscribing to my account!
> 
> A massive thank you to everyone that has followed my work this far! And most of all a massive thank you to my Beta Reader LiteraryHedonism who has been my rock through writing this! Thank you! Thank you!
> 
> If you liked this story, please don't forget to leave me a kudos! :)
> 
> Live long and prosper!


	31. Chapter 31

Just an update:

["The Augment Project"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24861523/chapters/60145111) which follows Jim and Bones back to the Federation is being posted!

["Into The Light"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25072270/chapters/60730312) the continuation of Khan's and Riddick's adventures is being posted!

I'm also working on another story in collaboration with [LiteraryHedonism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiteraryHedonism/pseuds/LiteraryHedonism)

you can check it out here: [That's the Q: Survive](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26412478/chapters/64343971)

If you liked this story, please don't forget to leave me a comment/kudos! :)

.


End file.
